


Fantober/Fictober 2020

by PurplePirate83



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ash and Eiji in Japan, Ash is alive, Autumn, Eiji teaching Ash to enjoy small things, Everyday Life, Fantober2020, Fictober2020, M/M, Pumpkins, fall - Freeform, leaves, seasonal dishes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 40,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26757259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePirate83/pseuds/PurplePirate83
Summary: Eiji tries to teach Ash to to enjoy small things like a sunny day in fall. And that fall means more than just pumpkins everywhere😉Written for Fictober2020. I use the list #Fantober 2020 on Tumblr.
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 48
Kudos: 120





	1. The First Day Of Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I use this as a way to practice my writing and just because it’s fun. I should warn you that I can’t do drabbles, so my chapters will at least be 1k😬

"Let's stop here for a moment."

Ash looked at Eiji. "Why? We still need to cook something and clean our apartment. We invited some people over."

Eiji smiled at him and put his shopping bags on a bank in the park and signaled him to do the same. Reluctantly, Ash copied him but still had no idea what Eiji was up to.

Eiji just took his hand and looked around the park. At all the trees, the little pond, the clear blue sky. And especially the bright sun warming their surroundings, their rays reflecting the nature around them and making them sparkle in all the different shades of color available in fall.

"Ash, just look around at all the leaves in so many different colors and the sunlight reflecting in them. Isn't it beautiful? It's the first day of fall. A perfect day with a blue sky and the sun drowning everything in a bronze glimmer."

"Yes, you're right.", Ash admitted reluctantly while looking around the park. "It is indeed a perfect day, and the sun makes everything look more beautiful. But you have a great talent for romance at the wrong moment. We don't have time for that, Eiji. We invited some people to celebrate that our exams are finished, remember?"

Eiji feigned annoyance and pouted at him. Still, his sparkling eyes betrayed him.

"We still have plenty of time. Can't you just enjoy the moment and relax? Only once, Ash? You worry too much. Just close your eyes and take a deep breath. What do you smell? What did you feel? What do you hear? Just listen to the nature around you for a moment."

Ash reluctantly did as Eiji had instructed him. If Eiji got that determined look in his eyes, it was useless. He wouldn't back down until Ash had done what he had told him to do.

And if he was perfectly honest, Eiji was right. He walked through the park every day, but he had never looked around or enjoyed the sun warming his skin or had just sat at a bench and enjoyed his surroundings. He usually was busy or in a hurry, which had nothing to do with the fact that he was a hopeless late riser and arrived only in time for his Japanese classes or his shift at the café because of Eiji.

So, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to relax and let in all the different sounds and smells nature had to offer. 

"I feel the urge to run. And I smell desperation and fear. And most of all, pumpkins. They're everywhere I go."

Eiji burst out laughing until there were tears in his eyes.

"You're hopeless, Ash. You didn't even try. Pumpkins don't have a dominant smell. You're just being overly dramatic."

Ash crossed his arms and pouted. "I hate fall. And you know why. It's the worst part of the year. I wish I could just stay home and hide under my blanket until Halloween is over."

"Come on, Ash, it's not that bad. There are many other great things to enjoy in fall other than pumpkins."

"Such as?", Ash asked, looking doubtfully at him.

"Leaves on the ground turning the sidewalk and paths through parks into a carpet of gold, red and green. Every step you do sounds softer and is quieter as if the world is napping. The trees moving in the wind and the leaves flying all around you give you a calm and happy feeling and leaves the impression that mother nature is whispering soothing words to you. And the twigs of the trees are moving in the wind, singing a song about harvest and wealth and offers you many seasonal fruits like apples to you.”, he tried to explain to Ash why he loved fall so much. 

“People generally are quieter and move at a slower pace, enjoying the last warm sun rays touching their skin before they have to hide in a warm coat and gloves.", Eiji explained to him with shining eyes.

It was apparent that fall was Eiji's favorite season, and he loved all the various colors and leaves flying around them. He couldn't hide his smile. That's what he loved about Eiji the most. That he could find joy in the simplest things. He loved when his eyes were glowing golden like that and how easy he found happiness in small everyday things he wouldn't even notice.

"I love that about you, Eiji.", he said, his forehead touching Eiji's.

"What?", Eiji said, a faint blush dawning on his cheeks.

"You can even find joy in the simplest things, like falling leaves. And the way you described it showed that you really love that season. So, I'll try to enjoy it for you. I'm sure our first fall together in Japan will be great."

Eiji gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. I really do love fall. I just hope my unromantic boyfriend will see the beauty as well one day. Fall also offers so many great dishes and drinks.", he grinned at him mischievously.

"Yeah, like pumpkin spice latte.", Ash grumbled darkly, reminded of his part-time job at the café.

"But what about cider? That's made of apples and tastes really great. And apple pie.", Eiji countered. He took his hand again and looked directly into his eyes. 

"I'll make a pie; then you'll change your mind. There's also hot pots, stews and soups that are delicious. Like tomato soup. And many vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. And it's a great time for drinking tea. And making muffins and donuts and cookies. ", Eiji explained to him with sparkling eyes. He was so looking forward to this season; his cheerfulness was contagious. The way Eiji described it, it sounded so amazing, he was slowly looking forward to it. He had nearly forgotten about the pumpkins. And Halloween.

"And there's always hot chocolate.", Eiji finished, beaming at him. "Seems like I've finally done it. Improving your mood, I mean.", he added in satisfaction.

"Eiji, you do realize that all your favorite things about fall are about food, right?", Ash teased him. Still, he had a point. He was feeling better now.He put an arm around Eiji's shoulder as they sat on the bench before going home.

"Sorry, I'm just annoyed because the manager of the café declared October would be Pumpkin month, and now we offer pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin waffles and even pumpkin donuts. I'm in literal pumpkin hell right now."

"So you won't mind if I take this home with me?", Eiji asked innocently, showing him a little pumpkin.

Ash immediately moved to the end of the bench, all color draining from his face.

"Put that away from me, or I'll cry!"


	2. Coffee And Tea - A Little Coffeeshop AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second day is called Coffee And Tea, so I wrote a little coffee shop AU where Eiji is a clumsy barista and Ash is a gloomy writer. Shorter plays a little role.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of my Fictober challenge. I hope you’ll like it🙂
> 
> Since I write these little stories much faster than my normal stories and English is not my mother tongue, the chapters can contain some mistakes. If you find some, feel free to point them out to me. Thank you.

„Ouch!"

"Eiji, I know you're new, but can you please pay attention to what you're doing? Many people are waiting for their coffee. So hurry up and stop daydreaming.", Shorter scolded him.

"Sorry!", Eiji apologized immediately and continued preparing people's orders.

He was new in New York. After his pole-vaulting accident, he had gotten a scholarship for college here with Ibe's help. He also worked on some photography projects with him to earn some money on the side. Those projects earned him only money occasionally, though, and money was tight in an expensive city like New York. So, he had taken a part-time job at a café in Manhattan.

Still, he had some difficulties adjusting to the quick pace and the morning rush hour in Manhattan. Manhattan was never standing still; people constantly hurried from one place to another without resting or taking a break. The rush hour with all the people and their complaints, demands and special requests were hard to handle for a country bumpkin like him. It was only his first week, though.

While working, Eiji cast a glance at the only guest who was completely unfazed by all the hectic around him. According to Nadia and Shorter, who owned the café, he was a regular and a good friend. He always sat at the same small table in a corner each day, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper or a book. He never communicated with anyone but Shorter and Nadia, so he just knew he was called Ash. He just sat there reading and seemed to have forgotten the world around him. There was something about him that had caught Eiji's attention. All his co-workers had already made fun of him because he had no poker face, and they had noticed that he was interested in him. They always told him to serve Ash coffee because he knew how flustered he got when approaching him.

Ash looked handsome with his golden, messy hair. Some strands were always falling into his face and hiding his emerald green eyes. Some glasses were resting on the top of his head, and his table was covered in papers, books and newspaper articles. Eiji had never seen anyone who could turn such a small table in utter chaos in under 30 seconds. Despite his young age, he looked like an absent-minded professor.

He had a slim build and was so large and handsome, he could be a supermodel without making an effort. Yet, he had a dangerous aura and an intense gaze that told people to keep their distance. Behind his sarcastic smirk and his green eyes, however, Eiji saw a lonely boy, and sometimes there was such a deep sadness in his eyes that broke Eiji's heart. He desperately wanted to make him laugh or smile, but he didn't know how to do that. 

This was his first week, so he didn't know anything about him, except for the rumors circulating about him, which went from a ruthless businessman with ties to the mafia to him being an evil genius. Eiji ignored all of them, knowing perfectly well that rumors were rarely true.

Ash always isolated himself as if there was an invisible wall between him and all the other people. He always kept to himself and flinched at the slightest touch or move in his direction. And the way he always paid careful attention to his surroundings, and of the door, the rear exit and all the customers told Eiji there was more to him than met the eye.

Still, while preparing coffee and tea for the usual business people frequenting this place, he occasionally threw glances Ash's way. This time, however, Ash had caught him, and their gazes met for a fraction of a second. Eiji was so shocked he'd been noticed that he took a step back and nearly spilled the freshly prepared beverage. Luckily, he found his balance again and avoided a disaster at the last second. But when he looked in Ash's direction again, he saw a tiny smile on his face before his poker face returned.

"So, he can smile.", Eiji muttered to himself while preparing the next order, grinning in satisfaction.

______________________________  
  


Ash sat at the usual table at the café. He always came here because his best friend Shorter worked here. He was a pain in the ass and always pulled him into his mess with his crazy ideas and stunts, but he always had his back and knew how to cheer him up.

The café belonged to his sister Nadia who had more or less raised Shorter on her own and, in part, him as well. If things got bad, he had always escaped here. So, Nadia was like a big sister to him who was strict but had a heart of gold. He liked to chat with them when they had time. But today, it was so crowded that chat would have to wait for later.

Ash drank his coffee and then read the newspaper, trying to figure out how to continue his novel. His first novel had surprisingly landed on the bestseller list, and now everyone had high expectations for his next novel. His editor had told him that the writing was excellent, but it was too dark and gloomy. She suggested adding some cheerful scenes to the story to lighten up the mood a little. Really funny, Ash thought, it's more or less an autobiography relating his dark past, only written from someone else's point of view. How was he supposed to add some lighter scenes into that when his life had been literal hell?

He rummaged through the paper, and when he was finished, he sighed deeply, opened his notebook, and tried to decipher the handwritten notes his editor had added to his manuscript. Maybe if he observed the other customers, he would get some new ideas for his book. Since he had a pretty dark past, he had never dropped the habit of observing people around him, checking every room for exits, people for weapons, and always watching the entrance.

However, if he was perfectly honest, he hadn't been observing the people or the entrance as much as he used to. He had been too busy watching the new guy working behind the counter. At first, he had been annoyed because he kept staring at him and didn't even try to hide it. He had also caught him how he had secretly taken some photos of him with his camera, probably encouraged by Shorter, who had looked at the photos and had grinned wickedly.

Still, there was something about the new employee that made him feel better. His name, Eiji, according to his name tag, sounded Asian. Shorter had told him he was Japanese and studied photography here. Not that he had asked him about Eiji, but, unfortunately for him, Shorter knew him too well and had teased him about his constant gazes in Eiji's direction.

Eiji had been clumsy at the beginning, his English was still horrible and he had a really hard accent. Even so, Eiji was always in a good mood and cheered all his employees up, lifting the spirits of the whole team with his bright smile. He comforted all the people around him and became really popular. The customers loved him as well because the smile he gave them was genuine and even reached his huge brown eyes.

Ash would never admit that, but even his mood was better since Eiji was here. His innocence and good nature were contagious. And the way he got flustered and started talking too fast when serving him was kind of cute and would probably give him some great ideas for his novel. Somehow, he couldn't stop looking at him. He had never seen such a pure and innocent human being before.He was always kind and warm-hearted to everyone around him and even found ways to cheer up the grumpy customers. But he could also be stubborn as hell when one of his co-workers was accused of something and could stand his ground. Still, he always stayed polite and never raised his voice while doing so. Ash wished he had so much self-control. He was always too impulsive and just snapped at people. And politeness wasn't his strong suit, either.

After a while of taking notes, he ordered another coffee.When he saw that Eiji was the one coming to his table, Ash pretended to reread the newspaper, hiding the little smile forming on his lips from him. That's why he didn't notice in time how a customer accidentally bumped into him, and the hot beverage went flying, showering Ash completely.

Eiji stood there, speechless for once while the whole room went silent.

Eiji's face immediately went red with embarrassment while he fidgeted with the sleeves of his hoodie.

"I'm so sorry. Somebody bumped into me and I lost my balance. Are you ok?", he asked while handing him a clean towel to dry himself. Ash thanked him and wiped the tea out of his face and his sweater. Eiji was rambling on much too fast, so Ash couldn't keep up with everything he said. But he heard the last two phrases.

"Can I make it up to you? Will you go out with me?"

Ash stared at him in surprise for a moment, then burst out laughing until tears emerged in his eyes. "Thank you, Eiji. You just made my day.", he replied, still laughing.

After a moment, realization of what he had said flashed in his eyes and he looked down at the floor in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I meant to say "Can I invite you to a coffee somewhere else to make up for it?", he explained, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"It's fine. You don't have to do that. But if it makes you feel better, you can invite me for coffee tomorrow." Eiji beamed at him. "Sure!"

"What about your clothes?", Eiji asked, looking at his damp sweater. 

"It's fine. It's just water. What isn't fine is that you served me tea again.", Ash complained while glaring at him. This time, Eiji couldn't hide his smile anymore.

"This isn't funny, Eiji! I hate tea. You should know that by now.", he scolded him. When he saw Eiji's smile, he knew that he hadn't hidden his own smile fast enough. 

"I'm sorry. I'll remember it next time.", he apologized. "But I'm so happy I've finally seen it.", Eiji replied honestly, still smiling.

"Seen what?"

"Your smile."

In the background, Shorter grinned mischievously at him. Smug bastard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, bookmarking/subscribing and voting. Your support means a lot to me!


	3. A Rainy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Eiji get caught in the rain and try to keep themselves warm after that🙂

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit short but I really like it✨

"I told you it would rain soon.", Eiji scolded Ash, annoyed that he hadn't listened to him when he had told him it would be a bad idea to go buy groceries now. Ash, of course, had known it all better, smartass that he was. 

Now, Eiji was desperately trying to cover him and Ash with his jacket with no effect whatsoever against the relentless rain. The strong wind wasn't helping at all. At the same time, Ash was carrying their shopping bags while they were running as fast as they could through the heavy rain. After only seconds out in the rain, they were drenched with their clothes soaking wet and clinging heavily to their skin.

"I think we both have different concepts of the word _soon_.", Ash defended himself. "I assumed we'd have at least 30 minutes to get home before it would start raining. The sky was blue only minutes ago.", Ash complained while trying to blow his blonde and wet strands out of his face to see where he was running. 

Despite his complaints, Eiji had to admit that it was kind of fun running through the rain with Ash. Ash couldn't hide his smile, either, as he looked at him, his eyes sparkling with amusement. And he had to admit that Ash looked gorgeous even in this state. He especially loved how his blonde strands were glued to his cheeks and how his white shirt was clinging to his slim figure. 

So, maybe getting soaked to the bone wasn't so bad once in a while..?

"No, with _soon_ , I meant that it would rain in the next ten minutes. Well, now it's too late anyway. Let's get home as fast as we can. Or we'll have a bad cold tomorrow."

They continued running through the rain for another five minutes before finally reaching their apartment. Eiji was cold all over and needed five attempts to open the door with his trembling hands. When entering, he immediately went to the bathroom to grab some towels while Ash put their shopping bags on the ground next to the entrance and hung his jacket on a hanger to dry. 

Eiji returned, a towel draped over his shoulder, and rubbed Ash's hair dry with the other one.

"Stop that! I can do that m - ", Ash started to say but stopped in his tracks when he saw the way Eiji looked at him. Eiji rubbed his hair and face dry while enjoying himself immensely. When he was finished, Eiji started standing on his tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I know. I just love taking care of my little lynx.", Eiji chuckled. "Knowing you, you'd probably fall sleep in your wet clothes on the couch. Someone has to look after you.", he added with a smirk. "And I love spoiling you and protecting you. Even if it's only from the rain." Eiji burst out laughing when he saw the stunned look on Ash's face. Then, his features softened, and he smiled softly at him. 

"And I really love when your hair is all dripping wet.", he admitted honestly, removing some damp strands out of his face. "You look so cute and much younger. Like a little lost kitten.", he teased him.

A faint blush ran over Ash's cheeks.Then he grinned wickedly at him and slowly came closer and closer before his grin turned into a more seductive one. Eiji's eyes widened, and a cute blush spread across his cheeks. He hated when Ash did that since that look made him weak and defenseless, and Ash knew that perfectly well. This was his revenge. For calling him _little_. Or _kitten_. Ash grinned, took the other towel from him, and rubbed Eiji's hair dry a bit too sloppy before kissing him softly.

After changing into dry clothes and drying their hair with a towel again, Ash pushed Eiji into the bathroom and gently blow-dried his hair. Eiji loved it when Ash wanted to take care of him and protect him by doing something sweet and gentle like that. 

"You have gorgeous hair, Eiji. Have you ever thought of growing it out? I think it would look great on you."

"I've never thought about it. You really think so?"

_________________________

After drinking hot chocolate, they snuggled close on the sofa. Still, Eiji could feel that Ash was freezing. Noticing that, Eiji grabbed a warm blanket from the edge of the couch and covered them while pulling Ash closer.

"Ash, if you're cold, you have to snuggle closer to me, or I can't warm you up.", Eiji explained to him. "You feel safe with me, don't you?", he asked him encouragingly. Ash nodded but otherwise remained silent. After hesitating slightly, Ash slowly put his arms around Eiji and pulled him closer. Eiji smiled and put his arms around him as well while he intertwined their legs. After a while, Ash stopped trembling and relaxed, his head falling on Eiji's chest while he closed his eyes. Eiji smiled and stroked his hair gently. When Ash closed his eyes, he felt completely safe. It was a sign of unconditional trust and love on his part. He wasn't good at putting his emotions into words, but it was little gestures like those that said more than words ever could.

"This feels great, Eiji. Cozy and perfect. Like home. Maybe it should rain more often.", he mumbled before he drifted off to sleep, smiling peacefully. That's why he didn't see the tear rolling down Eiji's face. That had been the first time Ash had used this word to describe their domestic life in Japan. Home.

おかえり。 "Welcome home, Ash.

Next chapter will be "Love Confession"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, subscribing/bookmarking, kudos or comments.
> 
> I appreciate all of them. Fictober 2020 is like a little training in writing for me. Still, I always take my time writing them. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them🙂


	4. Love Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji confesses to Eiji but Ash can’t return those three words to Eiji since those three words remind him of his abusers. Until Eiji has an idea what to say instead...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing that chapter✨

_I love you._

Three simple words. Yet, returning them was not as easy as Ash had thought. 

It had taken him a while to realize that he loved Eiji and that Eiji returned his feelings. He wanted to return those words to Eiji, but he couldn't get those words over his lips. 

Each time he tried, his voice broke, and he started feeling nauseous as images of his abusers flashed through his mind, telling him those words, twisting and ruining the true meaning behind them.

In the past, he had heard those three words too often from vicious creatures disguised as human beings.

For them, love meant controlling and dominating someone, bending someone to their will. Own them. Using someone as a toy to fulfill their sick and twisted sexual desires.

So, when Eiji had confessed his feelings to him with those same words after living with him in Japan for a while, Ash had completely overreacted. Panic had surged through him, and he had felt so sick to his stomach that he had run from the room and had opened a window to be able to breathe again. 

Eiji had been anxious, but since he knew him so well, he had given him the time to explain his reaction to him. Eiji never pushed him. Instead, he gave him the time he needed to clear up misunderstandings or figure out how he could explain his behavior to him.

That was what he loved about Eiji the most. That he understood what he was thinking or what he needed just by taking a look at him. By reading his mind, by looking into his heart and the bottom of his soul. Words weren't necessary.

Eiji had just joined him by the open window and had hugged him, telling him everything was fine. He had assured him that he didn't have to return his feelings at once but to take his time and think about it before giving him an answer.

A few days later, when they were lying in bed in the semi-darkness, and Eiji had put an arm around him, he felt safe enough to tell Eiji why those words had caused him to overreact. He could tell by the way Eiji gasped, then froze up and protectively tightened his arms around him that he was horrified by that revelation. After a moment, he relaxed again and softly kissed his cheek.

"Ash, thank you for explaining your reaction to me. I've been worried I've done something wrong without meaning to. I'd never want to hurt you. Maybe I should use a different phrase, then. Like _I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I would always choose you."_ “Or maybe", he added, chuckling softly, _"There's no one else I'd rather steal blankets from."_

That made Ash burst out laughing for the first time in days. Just last week, he had complained to Eiji that he always stole his blanket at night. Eiji smiled softly at him and gently put some blonde strands out of this face.

"There it is again. Your beautiful smile. I've missed it, you know?"

Ash returned the smile and pulled him closer; his head lifted so he could see his face. He stroked his cheek, then placed a soft kiss there.

"Thank you, Eiji. I know I've hurt you with my reaction, too. I'm sorry. I didn't know how to put my reaction into words at first. How to tell you the reason for behaving this way. Thank you for giving me the time to figure it out.", he replied gratefully. Then he put his head on Eiji's chest again.

_"_ I loved _My soul is always with you._ That meant the world to me. It told me that you would always be by my side even if we lived on different continents. That our souls were bound forever. That I wasn't alone anymore."

"I meant each word, Ash. I still do." Eiji gently played with some strands of his blonde hair.

"I feel the same about you, Eiji. You're the best thing ever happening to me. Thank you for staying by my side. I just wish there was a better phrase than those three words. But nothing else is conveying as many feelings. Or it's too long."

"I'll always be by your side, Ash. But if you want to tell me your feelings, how about you use the Japanese phrase?", Eiji suggested.

"How do you say that in Japanese?"

"愛してる。Aishiteru."

"Aye-shee-teh-roo?", Ash tried to mimic him. 

"Yes, exactly like that." 

Ash kissed him softly on the cheek and then whispered something into his ear that made Eiji's eyes shine with happiness.

"Aishiteru, Eiji."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Aishiteru” is a phrase that is not used often and mostly by married couples and in private conversations. 
> 
> But Ash and Eiji are practically married, right?
> 
> The next story will be “sleepover” and therefore more characters will appear. Like Shorter.


	5. Sleepover - A Little High School AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Eiji innocently admits that he has never done a sleepover before, Shorter convinces everyone to do one again. 
> 
> Only Ash refuses stubbornly. 
> 
> Will he join when Eiji asks him to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wanted to write a High School AU, so here is a little one. I hope you’ll enjoy it✨

"I've never done that before. A sleepover, I mean."

Those innocent words made everyone at Eiji's table stare at him in utter disbelief, gaping at him. Seeing all the eyes on him, Eiji wondered what he had done wrong, fidgeting nervously with the sleeves of his hoody while looking down at his now empty plate.

Eiji had just arrived at the school a few months ago and still had some trouble adjusting to a big city like New York. He had come here a few months ago with his uncle from a small town in Japan because this school offered a special art wing, and he had gotten a scholarship.

Despite his hard accent in English, he had found friends pretty quickly. He had met Shorter when Arthur wanted to bully him and Ash because he had to work on a school project in chemistry with him. Shorter had immediately asked him to join them for lunch. That way, he got to know Skip, too, because Ash looked out for him like a big brother. And Sing was friends with Shorter and was always around, too. Sometimes Bones and Kong joined them since Ash was tutoring them.

It had all started when they were all having lunch in the cafeteria, and Shorter had asked them what their plans for the weekend looked like.

"Reading and sleeping.", Ash said while trying to eat and read simultaneously.

"God, you're so boring. Why am I friends with a nerd like you again?", Shorter complained to him.

"Because you need me to copy my excellent homework or to change our grades by hacking into the school server."

When Eiji looked at him, completely shocked by that revelation, Shorter assured him it had been a joke. But judging by the mischief in Ash's eyes, he wasn't so sure. He was undoubtedly brilliant enough to pull it off.

"And because I constantly talk you out of all your crazy ideas. Or blame Arthur for them if they fail.", he added, a smug look on his face.

Shorter grinned. "Ok, I admit that the last part is true."

Then he asked the others for their plans. When Eiji mentioned on the side that his uncle would go on the business trip for the weekend, he put an arm around Eiji's shoulder.

"Is that so? You know what that means, right?"

"No.", Eiji asked innocently, "What does that mean?"

"Sleepover.", Shorter smiled mischievously while looking around.

"A sleepover? Seriously? How old are you, ten?", Ash scolded him without looking up from his book. "Count me out. I'm too old and too smart for that."

Everything else was really excited at the idea. Their exams had been a week ago, so they had more free-time now as Sing reminded them excitedly.

"I love sleepovers!" Skip exclaimed happily with shining eyes.

"Of course, you do.", Ash replied in a softer tone. "That's because you ARE ten years old." He finally put his book away. "You're supposed to love them."

Eiji was silent for a moment, trying to keep up with their conversation. Then, he looked nervously at them. "What's a sleepover? I've never done that before."

Everyone looked at him, completely astonished, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

"Never?", Shorter gasped out in surprise, recovering first. Eiji shook his head but kept quiet. He was anxious that he had said something wrong or weird. Maybe he shouldn't have admitted that so openly. Even so, he was so miserable at lying...

Ash looked at him, a half-smile escaping his lips.

"Wasn't your last school a boarding school, Eiji?", asked Ash, suddenly curious. "I thought you told us something like that when you introduced yourself to our class."

When Eiji nodded, he continued. "A sleepover means a friend or more stay overnight at another friend's house." Eiji smiled at him, relieved that Ash had come to his help.

There were many rumors about Ash circulating. From being a criminal killing his parents for money to him being a pure genius. Eiji didn't listen to any of them since rumors were rarely true. Ash kept mostly to himself, and he had an intense glare and a confident stance that scared many students.

Eiji, however, was convinced that his tough-guy-act was just covering up his pain and suffering. One time, he had been looking for Ash and had finally found him on the rooftop. Ash hadn't noticed him at once. It was at that moment that he had seen a hurting teenager and eyes that cried out in pain and reflected such loneliness it broke his heart.

That's when he decided to learn more about him. While working with him on the group project, Ash had slowly opened up to him, and they had grown closer. Still, Ash still kept mostly to himself and preferred reading books in the library to conversations with other students.

Shorter, however, was an exception. Ash was more talkative and relaxed around him. He always tried to force Ash into social gatherings and told Eiji he would turn him into a decent and social human being one day.

"Since Eiji went to a boarding school, he lived at the school. Therefore, it makes sense that he has never done anything like that.", he lectured the others.

"Thank you for the lesson, Professor Callenreese." Shorter took the glasses from Ash's head and put them on, then mocked him by mimicking his voice perfectly. The others burst out laughing while Ash's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, glaring at him.

"Give them back! Now, Shorter!", Ash exclaimed furiously, eyes burning wildly. Shorter held them away from him, completely unfazed by his death glare, so Ash grabbed the sunglasses tucked on the collar of his shirt and took those instead.

"They look better on me, anyway.", he said, putting them on and peering over the edges of his sunglasses in self-satisfaction.

"Fine, you win." Shorter gave in, and they switched their glasses.

"Anyway, Eiji, you wanna do a sleepover? At your house, of course. Your uncle won't mind, will he?"

"No, I'm sure it's fine. I'll tell him later. That sounds great!"

Then he turned to Ash, a bit flustered about the question he was going to ask him.

"You really won't come? I was hoping you'd be there as well." He nervously fumbled with some brown strands, trying to remove them from his face, but they always fell back into place. 

The others grinned, watching the conversation with open curiosity, all staring at Ash. They had probably noticed by now that he liked spending time with Ash. He had no poker face, after all.

Ash sighed deeply, then smiled a little. "If you want me to be there, I'll come. I can't leave you alone with this group of monkeys, after all.", he replied, winking at him.

Eiji felt his cheeks burn up when he smiled at him. "Thanks, Ash."   
  
______________

When they arrived at his apartment, they first made some pizza together. That had been his idea and was a lot of fun, especially for the younger Skip. After they had eaten, they played a few games until Skip had fallen asleep before sneaking into the other room to watch a horror movie. When Eiji heard that, he grew nervous. He was a scaredy-cat when it came to horror movies and flinched at every little sound and movement. He wondered if it would be alright. 

They grabbed some snacks and drinks Ash had brought with him and sat down at the living room after Shorter had some put in a DVD and had switched out the light. Shorter and Sing sat down at one couch while Ash and Eiji took the other one.

Eiji sat there frozen up and didn't dare to move. He could feel Ash sitting next to him, but unlike him, Ash was relaxed and took a sip of his drink while watching the beginning of the movie. Eiji hoped he wouldn't freak out or do something embarrassing since Ash would probably think he was a complete coward. Someone as confident as Ash, who was good at most everything, would probably laugh at him or tease him with it later.

Ash put an arm on his shoulder, making him nearly jump in surprise.

"Eiji, relax, ok? I don't like horror movies, either. I can just pretend not to be scared better than you can. Don't tell Shorter, ok?", he tried to calm him down in a low voice.

Eiji relaxed at his words and continued watching the movie with Ash. Ok, to be honest, he looked at Ash more than at the movie. But he looked so stunning with his golden hair highlighted by the flickering of the screen. Sometimes, his eyes shone like emeralds, and he loved it when Ash wore glasses like now. He looked so distinguished, and it gave his handsome looks the final touch. Eiji couldn't stop peeking at him from time to time while watching the movie.

When the movie reached its peek, Eiji got scared and, without noticing, moved closer and closer to Ash. Ash didn't seem to notice until Eiji shrieked and took his hand. Ash stared at him, then at his hand. Eiji wanted to pull away, but Ash grabbed his hand again.

"It's fine. Take my hand if you're scared. The movie's nearly over anyway. But if that scared, you should probably look away at the next - "

Eiji screamed and - without realizing - clung to him, both arms around his shoulders, his head against Ash's chest while he had squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel how Ash froze up for a second before he felt a strong arm around his shoulders. 

"It's fine, Eiji. You're safe with me. I'll protect you.", he smiled softly. "Even from Shorter's terrible taste in movies.", he added in a louder voice.

"I heard that.", Shorter's voice came from the other side of the room. "But this time I'm innocent. Sing picked the movie."

"Sing is highly influenced by you. Same difference.", Ash replied, yawning.

Eiji had looked in Shorter's and Sing's direction, watching them bickering for a while, so he had only noticed now when looking back at Ash that, after letting go of him, Ash's head had fallen on his shoulder while he was sleeping peacefully, a small smile on his lips. Unfortunately, Shorter and Sing fumbling with the DVD case and collecting all the leftovers woke him up again.

"Eiji, sorry, I fell asleep on you.", Ash said in a daze, waking up again.

"It's fine. I clung to your chest after all. Thanks for not making fun of me."

Ash smiled softly at him. "Anytime."

After helping Shorter and Sing tidying up the room again, they moved to the place where Skip was already sleeping and prepared to sleep next to him.

It didn't work, though. When Eiji woke up the next morning, they were all practically lying on top or across each other, feet and hands were sticking out everywhere. So, he didn't realize at once that he was lying on Ash's chest while Ash's hand was around his shoulder as if protecting him. Since he couldn't move, he just stayed like that and tried to get some more sleep since no one was awake yet.

And if he was perfectly honest, sleeping on Ash's chest felt cozy and warm. It just felt right. So he would enjoy this perfect moment while it lasted...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one tomorrow will be called “Fair”
> 
> Until now I had a lot of fun writing those. I hope I can keep it up until I’ve written a story for each day of October. 
> 
> Comments, kudos and bookmarks/subscription are highly appreciated✨


	6. The Fair or A Birthday Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji wants to go to a fair or carnival in New York for his birthday. Ash isn’t amused but he did promise him to take him wherever he wanted.
> 
> Since there’s no carnival at the moment, he goes to a amusement park with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note I’ve never been to Coney Island or NYC before. 
> 
> I’m really learning much about writing while writing these little stories. So I hope you’ll enjoy them.

"Do we really have to go?"

"Ash, you promised me to take me to one of New York's fairs. Or at least an amusement park when there's no fair at the moment.", Eiji reminded him.

"I thought you meant an art or music fair or festival of some similar kind. Or something culinary like a Street Fair.", Ash explained to him, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Not a Traveling funfair or a carnival. Isn't that for little kids? Why do you like them so much?"

Eiji pouted and crossed his arms in defiance before turning away from him.

"I thought you told me I could ask for anything on my birthday. And I always wanted to see a carnival with amusement rides, a roller coaster and food vending stalls. With games of chance and skill and merchandise vending stalls and thrill acts or shows of some kind. With loud music and sounds everywhere and lots of people around. We don't have things like that in Izumo. It's too small.", he explained his excitement for them to him.

"Then, I guess I'll ask some kids to go with me, like Skip or Sing, since Mr. Know-it-All is too smart for that.", he replied snidely, feigning annoyance.

He pretended to leave but not before grinning at him, knowing perfectly well that Ash had no other chance than to give in. He had promised to spend his birthday with him and take him anywhere he wanted, after all. To Ash, promises were important since most people in his life had never kept them and had let him down. So, he always kept his promises, especially towards Eiji. Ash sighed deeply, then shook his head in amusement before putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Eiji, don't be mad, ok? I'll go with you, alright? Knowing you that well, I really should have expected that.", he smirked at him. "That you'd choose something cute like that. 

His features softened as he looked at him. "But this is so you. So, if you want to go, I'll take you. There's not a fair at the moment, but I know a place where you can get all those attractions you've mentioned before." Eiji's pure smile that he got in return was the best reward ever.

" I promised you a perfect birthday, after all. Come on, let's go."

When they arrived by subway, Eiji looked around curiously with wide eyes. "This is Coney Island?"

"Yes, it's exactly what you're looking for. There are two amusement parks here..."

"Yeah, because one just wouldn't cut it..." Eiji replied with a smirk but walked around with Ash anyway, taking his hand in his. Before Ash could react to that in any way, he pointed at a Ferris Wheel. "That looks great!"

"I thought you'd like it. You want to go? You have an amazing view over New York from there.", he promised him.

They were lucky, and the queue wasn't that long, so they quickly entered a cabin and waited for their round.

"You're not afraid of heights, are you?", he teased him when Eiji tried to make out the top of the Ferris wheel from their cabin.

"Ash, I was a pole-vaulter." Eiji rolled his eyes, then took out his camera to take a few photos of New York and the beach. And of Ash.

"Doesn't say much. My brother wasn't afraid of heights, either, but got dizzy in a Ferris wheel." Ash smiled sadly at the memory.

Eiji had apparently seen that because he changed the topic. "So, do I get a birthday wish?", he asked, moving closer and leaned his head against his.

"Anything." He whispered something into his ear. "A birthday kiss, maybe?"

Eiji giggled. "That's a great idea, too. But can I get a birthday photo first? Of both of us? We don't have many photos of us together."

Ash would have denied that to any other person. Photos still held horrible memories for him and had been a method for control and blackmail.

Yet, since he'd met Eiji, he had learned that photos could also hold precious memories you wanted to remember forever. Eiji taught him that you could freeze a perfect moment on camera and make it unforgettable and everlasting.

Eiji's innocent look on the world and finding joy in the smallest and simplest things made his photos unique and fascinating. He had learned through Eiji that a photo could be beautiful or disgusting, depending on the one looking through the camera.

"Sure."He took his phone out of his jeans' back pocket and made some selfies of them both. Eiji looked at them. They're great. Thanks, Ash."

Anything for you.", he replied, softly kissing his temple.

"So, what about that birthday kiss?", Eiji asked playfully. Ash grinned mischievously at him and pulled him closer.  
  


They spent the rest of the day on Coney Island, walking along the beach, eating hotdogs, donuts, and ice cream. Eiji bought some souvenirs at the merchandise stalls. Ash convinced Eiji to ride the roller coaster with him. Eiji looked really pale at the end of the ride, but his eyes were sparkling, and he had that bright, innocent smile that Ash so loved.

"What's that?", Eiji asked, looking at a stall they were passing when they continued walking.

"It's a shooting range. You can shoot, and if you hit something, you win a prize.

You want to try?", he asked him.

Eiji did so, but, as expected, he didn't hit anything. Eiji wasn't sad, just shrugging at him. Still, Ash noticed how he kept staring at the stall. Ash smiled at him before grabbing the rifle.

"Which one do you want to have?", he asked, grinning.

Eiji looked at him in surprise. "It's okay; you don't have to - ", he began, immediately playing it down.

"Which one is it, Eiji?", Ash repeated, winking at him. "I'll get it for you."

The vendor looked at him, sneering. "You think you can do it? You seem pretty confident. It's not that easy, you know?"

"I can do it.", Ash simply said, handing over the money. "Give me one bullet.", he asked him, a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Only one?"

"One is enough for me.", Ash said, smiling knowingly at Eiji.

"That cat over there.", Eiji said, grinning back at him.

Ash gave him a mock salute, then put the bullet into the rifle, calmly positioned it, and fired. Bang. 

The bullet hit the target perfectly—Bull's Eye.

"Piece of cake.", Ash muttered while a stunned vendor handed over the cat, speechless for once.

"Wow, where did you learn to shoot like that?", the vendor wanted to know, Ash's skills had certainly aroused his curiosity.

"On the battlefield.", Ash said mysteriously before taking the little honey brown cat and giving it to Eiji. He showed it to Ash. "It looks a bit like you. Cute but dangerous." Ash gave him a dirty look, but he couldn't hide his amusement.

"Anywhere else you wanna go?", he asked while putting an arm around his waist.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you, Ash. I had a great day with you. It was fun."

"Maybe we can sit at the beach for a while? It's nearly sunset. I'll buy some drinks."

When they had watched the sunset, Ash rummaged for something in his bag.

"Here, I wanted to give you this. He handed him a roll of paper. A little bracelet held it. Eiji took it off. It was a bracelet made out of brown leather and a little golden heart as a pendant.

"Thank you, Ash, this is beautiful." Eiji's eyes sparkled with joy as he kissed him on the cheek. Then he put it around his wrist.

"It matches your eyes.", Ash said, smiling softly at him.

"Open the roll of parchment."

Eiji did so. On the solid-looking paper was a drawing in colored pencils of the two of them, arm in arm, standing on a beach like this one.

"That's amazing, Ash. Have you drawn that?", Eiji asked him in amazement.

"Yes. I thought you'd appreciate something personal like that much more.", Ash replied, feeling how his cheeks heated up as he looked at him to see his reaction.

"That's incredible, Ash." Eiji hugged him, then wiped a tear away that had run down his cheek.

"It's not just a birthday gift. It's a thank you. For staying by my side. For just being you. For showing me that life is beautiful."

Now a tear has escaped Ash's eye as well as he leaned his head against Eiji's.

Under the drawing, Ash had only written one word.

_Forever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos , comments and bookmarks/subscriptions are always highly appreciated.
> 
> The next story is called “Sick Day”
> 
> Do you prefer Ash or Eiji being sick? I can’t decide...


	7. Day 7 - Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji has a fever and Ash takes care of him. Since Ash never learned how to comfort someone, will he try anyway or will he panic?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m late for this one. I couldn’t decide from which point of view to tell it but decided to write it from Ash’s point of view. I have already written two hurt-comfort stories from Eiji’s point of view, so this was fun😉 I hope you’ll enjoy it!

"Eiji!"

When Ash had heard something break in the kitchen, he had run over within seconds, only to find Eiji lying on the kitchen floor, unconscious. It had scared the hell out of him. He had checked for any sign of injury because of the broken glass shards lying everywhere but had found none.

Instead, he had realized that he was burning up. So, he had carried him to their bedroom and had put him into bed again. 

Since he had been shivering and he couldn't find a blanket, he had put him into one of his warm hoodies. It looked ridiculous because they were much too big for him, but he couldn't help but smile for a moment. Eiji seemed so cozy and cute.

"A- Ash?", he croaked out. Eiji's voice sounded hoarse and nearly failed him.

"Yes, it's me. Goddammit, Eiji, don't scare me like that!", Ash shouted a bit too loudly, glaring at him furiously. Despite his anger, Eiji never looked scared. Instead, he smiled weakly at him, having noted the fear in his voice. Even Ash had heard his voice trembling at the end.

At this point, Eiji knew only too well that his outbursts were a sign that he was genuinely worried about him. He just wasn't capable of showing his real emotions. Most of his life, he had only learned to suppress his feelings, to bury them deep inside of him.

In his cruel life, feelings were a weakness that made you vulnerable and killed you in the end. He had tried to show more of his emotions towards Eiji, but it wasn't easy for him...

Still confused, Eiji slowly opened his eyes again, looking at him. Ash had placed a cold cloth on his forehead to stop the fever from getting worse. Then, he had sat at his bedside and had watched over him carefully, making sure he didn't get worse.

Ash put a hand across his face and sighed in frustration. He should have noticed that Eiji wasn't feeling well. Judging by the high fever, Eiji had probably hidden his discomfort and cold from him for some time. Damn idiot.

Eiji looked pale as a sheet and looked so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open. The way he groaned in pain while rubbing at his temples, he probably had a massive headache. Cold sweat was visible on his forehead, and little droplets were running down his face. When he took his hand, he noticed they were sweaty as well, and he was still shivering despite the warm room temperature.

Ash cleaned his sweaty face again and put another cold cloth on his forehead. He could see how Eiji relaxed, so it was helping him to feel a bit better. Ash wanted to touch his cheek to comfort him but hesitated, stopping in mid-air. He frowned, wondering if he was allowed to touch Eiji in a situation where he wasn't feeling well. Maybe he would hurt or scare him...

Eiji had taught him that his hands could not only kill and hurt people but also comfort and heal people. At the beginning, he hadn't believed him, but he had eventually noticed how his touch made Eiji relax and how he always leaned into his touch. He had never learned kind gestures, so he had started copying the ones Eiji used on him. Still, he often hesitated, still afraid to hurt Eiji.

Eiji smiled knowingly at him, lifted his hand and intertwined their fingers. It was Eiji's way of showing him that his touch would never hurt him. Ash tried again, touching his cheek while his features relaxed again.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm f- ", Eiji began, trying to sit up but instantly regretted it, grimacing in pain before rubbing his temples in an attempt to soothe it.

Ash just shook his head in disbelief and pushed him back into the cushions, gently but firmly.

"Don't you dare lie to me!", Ash harshly interrupted him at once, his green eyes tightening. Anger rushed through him while he glared dangerously at him. Then, he took a deep breath to calm himself. His voice softened again, and sadness overcame him when he realized that

Eiji always took good care of him but now that the tables were turned, he didn't know what he was supposed to do to comfort Eiji. It always looked so easy when Eiji did it. Even so, he desperately wanted to be there for Eiji. He'd do anything for him...

"Just let me take care of you for once, ok? I know I'm seriously bad at it, but I want to comfort and help you, too."

He sat there with slumped shoulders, his eyes looking down at him but not meeting his gaze. He felt so useless in this situation; how could someone like him ever comfort Eiji?

Eiji suddenly took his hand in his and smiled faintly at him, making him look up in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I should have told you sooner. I just didn't want to trouble you with that. I felt so pathetic and weak. I didn't want to be a burden to you. You have so much going on right now, with Arthur and your fight against Dino. My cold is not even worth mentioning in comparison.", he tried to explain it to him while pure warmth was reflected in his eyes.

Eiji's words immediately made him feel better. His warm smile always healed his heart and removed any dark thoughts that had crossed his mind within seconds. He moved closer to him and gently ruffled his hair.

"Eiji, please stop saying that. You're never a burden or trouble to me. You're the best thing ever happening to me. I'm so glad I've met you. You gave me new hope and showed me that there are good people in this world who care about me. That life can also be beautiful.", he admitted honestly.

He couldn't remember when he had confessed his feelings to anyone so openly before. Usually, it wasn't necessary since Eiji just took one look at him and knew what he was thinking. It was scary at times, yet he secretly loved it that they shared such a close bond.

Eiji smiled weakly at him, yawning. "But - "

"Eiji, be honest. When was the last time you slept for more than a few hours? You always wait for me to come home no matter how late it is. Even so, you still get up early every day, making breakfast for everyone. It's no wonder you're exhausted.", Ash reminded him sternly.

"I... That's not... I can't sleep unless I know you're safe." Then his eyes darkened slightly before he turned away from him, avoiding his gaze.

"I just feel useless if I don't do anything. Like a freeloader. I can't fight by your side, but I can at least take care of your gang and the apartment."

"Please take care of yourself first.", Ash scolded him lightly.

Eiji nodded quietly. He seemed utterly exhausted and couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

"Eiji, don't sleep yet. Take your medication first." He helped him sit up a bit before handing him two pills and a glass of water. "Painkillers.", he explained. "For your fever and your headache. "You'll feel better."

Eiji took them and drank the water. After Ash had helped him lay down again, Eiji closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep. Ash bent down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead as Eiji had done so many times to comfort him after a nightmare.

After a while, Ash lay down next to Eiji and began reading a book while watching the sleeping figure next to him. He had apparently fallen asleep next to him because he was woken up by a low mumbling sound next to him. Still dazed, he moved in that direction to make sure Eiji was safe.

However, when he moved, he heard a soft complaint next to him and followed the sound with his gaze. While he had been asleep, Eiji had shifted so that his head rested on his chest now while his arm was flung around him, as if protecting him, his hand grabbing his upper arm. He was sleeping so peacefully that Ash didn't dare to move again.

Eiji had noticed him moving because he pulled him closer and mumbled something.

"Ash... Don't leave..."

Ash stared at Eiji in surprise, then slowly ran a hand through his brown hair. He saw Eiji relax again before a small smile appeared on his face. Eiji has once explained to him that he was afraid that he'd leave without telling him and would be suffering all alone somewhere.

"Idiot.", muttered Ash but couldn't help but smile in return.

"No matter where I go, I'll always find my way back to you in the end."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I have no self-control when it comes to hurt-comfort, so this story is longer than most of my stories for fictober. 
> 
> The next one will be “ First meeting”
> 
> Kudos, comments, bookmarks/subscriptions are highly appreciated💖


	8. Day 8 - First Meeting or Can I Hold Your Gun?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash’s first impression of Eiji when they met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is nothing surprising but I really loved writing the first meeting of Ash and Eiji from Ash’s point of view. I hope you’ll like it.

_What a freak._

That had been Ash's first impression when he had talked to Eiji for the first time.

When seeing him, there had been nothing about him that had stood out. Nothing that would draw attention and would make you cast a second glance at him. He had been nothing special.

He had looked plain, ordinary and like everyone else in China Town. The only thing that had aroused his interest had been his huge brown eyes.

Still, there was something about him that had impressed him immensely.

The police had told Eiji that he was controlling most of New York as a ruthless gang leader. He had known he was a dangerous criminal who ruled Manhattan with cold-blooded leadership and an iron fist. And yet, Eiji hadn't been scared of him at all. He hadn't trembled, hadn't kept his distance, hadn't avoided eye contact with him.

Quite the contrary, in fact. Eiji had never watched his step around him and had walked right over to him without

the slightest hesitation. He had started talking to him in his lousy English without watching his back or looking around nervously. He had just stood next to him without the slightest sign of fear and had begun asking him questions as if he'd be the neighbor next door or any ordinary person he had just met.

At first, he had thought Eiji was strange. Weird. A freak. He had assumed at the time that it was because he was Japanese, and they had grown up in different countries and cultures. After talking to him for a while, he wondered if it was because they both hadn't communicated that well since Eiji's English was awful, and he had a hard accent, so Ash had a hard time understanding what he was trying to tell him.

But after a while, he had realized that both of those assumptions had been wrong. That hadn't been the case. Eventually, he had figured out the truth. He just felt comfortable around Eiji. Most people were scared of him, respected him or despised him and wanted to kill him. They called him a monster, a killer, a devil.

Eiji had been different. He hadn't been suspicious or prejudiced against him. He treated him like a typical 17-year old teenager and had just been openly curious about him because that was just how he ticked. Even more so, Ash had figured out; he had treated him like a human being.

Eiji's attitude had fascinated him. His huge eyes and his face or his body language didn't hide anything. He had had no poker face at all, and Ash had doubted at that point that he even knew how to tell a lie. His eyes and face had reflected an honesty that had been entirely new for him. 

Eiji had been so innocent, naive and cheerful it had made him relax and drop his guard more and more. His open face and his genuine smile had been so refreshing that he had forgotten all the people around him when he had been talking to him. 

Yet, at the same time, Eiji had been stubborn, and there had been a blazing fire in his eyes when he had called him a kid. He had touched a sore subject, it seemed. His eyes had flared up suddenly as he had told him he was, in fact, older than him. Eiji had turned around and had cleared that up while staring right into his eyes without flinching. If anything, he had been irritated, and his gaze had been burning into his.

No one dared to look at him like that. Most people just avoided meeting his gaze altogether or just did so on accident, flinching at once and immediately backing down or freezing up, too scared to move.

After a while, he had noticed that he had enjoyed talking to him and how a genuine smile had dawned on his face, and his features had softened more and more. Usually, his smile was more a sarcastic smirk or a sneer, he rarely smiled, and if he did, it was fake or forced; like a mask he put on for others to see, burying his true emotions deep inside.

Eiji's pure smile, however, had brought out feelings he had always kept hidden deep inside his broken soul. Eiji's laugh was warming him from the inside. It was like a band-aid, it didn't heal you at once, but it made you feel better and stopped the pain.

There was something about Eiji that had comforted him and put him at ease. So when Eiji had asked to see his gun, he had been genuinely surprised. No one had ever lived to see the day trying to touch his gun. His gun had been a sign of respect, of authority, of power. In his life, power was everything. Without his gun and his shooting skills, he would have never survived this long. So, he would never let go of it, let alone hand it to other people.

Until Eiji had come along. Eiji had explained to him that guns were illegal in Japan and had asked him if he could hold it.

That had been the significant difference here. Most people just grabbed his gun without permission. They just tried to touch it to make him lose face or, as a dare, a game. Eiji had been the first person who had asked for permission to touch his gun. No one had ever asked him that. Ever.

So, Ash had handed him his gun without thinking much about it. Ash had noticed with a smirk how the whole room had gone quiet instantly, and everyone had been holding their breaths. No one in his gang had ever expected that he would hand Eiji his gun. He had foreseen that and had enjoyed their stunned expressions.

However, Eiji hadn't been fazed by that at all. Maybe he hadn't even noticed how all eyes suddenly were on him? He had taken the gun from Ash, had checked it out, and had weighed it in his hand, commenting on how heavy it was.

Then, he had handed it back, even thanking him for showing it to him. He couldn't remember when anyone had ever thanked him. He lived in a world consisting of orders, threats or blackmail. In his life, there wasn't any room for politeness or small talk.

He had still thought Eiji was a kid, but his innocence, his warm smile, his beaming eyes and his honesty had filled him up from the inside with a warmth he had never felt before. It had felt great, and after spending some time with Eiji, he had figured out that Eiji comforted him.

He made him feel complete as if he mended the broken parts of his injured soul back together and healed him from the inside with his cheerful personality. Eiji hadn't only changed his life for the better but had taken him by storm, only that the storm had been a gentle breeze.

Looking back, Ash would never forget their first meeting. That day had given his life a new meaning, a new reason to live. Therefore, this encounter was engraved in his heart forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks/subscriptions are always welcome💖
> 
> The next chapter is called “Baking”


	9. Baking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s raining heavily outside, so Eiji convinces Ash to make some cookies with him. 
> 
> At the beginning, Ash is skeptical...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so much fun to write. And now I have a good chocolate chip cookies recipe✨

"I don't think the rain will stop anytime soon."

Ash looked out of the window where heavy rain was falling endlessly, and such dark clouds dominated the sky that it was highly doubtful that the sun would ever return. Ash sighed dramatically while he turned to look at Eiji.

"It's fall, Ash. What did you expect? New York in fall isn't any different. Only the wind in Izumo is much stronger and blows relentlessly. Let's just stay at home."

"That's too bad. I wanted to buy some new books. What are we going to do instead?"

Eiji watched him with some amusement. Ash was terrible at doing nothing. He was too smart and needed something to keep his mind busy. If he had nothing to read, he couldn't sit still and complained that he was bored like a three-year-old. Eiji would never get his photo projects done if Ash was bored and would constantly walk around their apartment, trying to find something to do.

Then, an idea crossed his mind. Something he had planned to do for a long time but had forgotten about, and it would make more sense in fall or winter anyway.

"Can you bake?", Eiji asked him out of the blue. Ash looked at him as if he had just lost his mind, staring at him in surprise.

"What? It's what you do before Christmas when the weather is cold outside. I've always wanted to bake some cookies or something else together with you. It will be fun.", Eiji tried to convince him with smiling eyes.

"As you know, I can cook some simple things. But I've never baked anything before. Why are you asking that now all of a sudden?", Ash asked, removing some blonde strands out of his face. "And it's only fall, not winter. Christmas is still far away.", Ash reminded him. "Isn't it a bit too early for that?"

Eiji crossed his arms and turned away from him, pouting. "You're no fun. There's always time for cookies.", Eiji insisted but couldn't help but feel disappointed. Cooking or baking was much more fun together.

"Fine, then. I'll do them myself. But you won't get any of them.", he added stubbornly before leaving the room. "There's still natto in the fridge for you.", he called out to him.

At lightning-fast speed, Ash followed him and grabbed his wrist to stop him, then put his arm around his shoulders. "Come on, Eiji, don't be mad." Eiji turned away, feigning to be offended. He wouldn't give in this easily. Ash had to try harder than that.

Ash let's go of his shoulder and turned his face towards him, giving him his most brilliant smile. That smile that made his eyes light up like emeralds and that Eiji couldn't resist. When Eiji finally looked at him and couldn't hide his smile, Ash grinned like the Cheshire Cat, knowing perfectly well he had won.

"Let's make a deal. If you make some avocado shrimp salad tonight, I'll bake some cookies with you. If you teach me how to do it, that is."

"Really?", Eiji beamed at him while he flung his arms around him, pulling him close.

"Ok, I promise. This will be so much fun!"

"We'll see...", Ash replied skeptically before following him into the kitchen.

"What about making some chocolate chip cookies? I always wanted to make some myself."

"Fine with me. What do we need for that?", he asked him.

Eiji looked up a recipe on his smartphone. "Let's see... We need white and brown sugar, softened butter, large eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, hot water, salt, flour and chocolate chips.

Ash rummaged through their shelves and put everything on the kitchen counter while Eiji took the rest out of the fridge.

"Fine, you can start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Then we need a bowl that is huge enough for all the ingredients."

Ash placed a large bowl on the counter next to the prepared ingredients after switching on the oven.

"Okay, measure 1 cup of white sugar, brown sugar and butter, then put it into the bowl.", Eiji instructed. "I'll do the next step."

"Why?", Ash frowned at him. "You don't trust my cooking skills?"

"No, I don't.", Eiji stated honestly. "I think your cooking skills have improved immensely.", Eiji said proudly while standing on tiptoes, looking over his shoulder.

"But I'm not so sure about your baking skills. I've never seen them, after all."

Meanwhile, Ash had put the sugar, brown sugar and the butter into the bowl and had creamed them together until they were smooth. Ash turned around and smirked at him, giving him a sidelong glance.

"Is the result to your satisfaction, Chef de Cuisine Okumura?, Ash asked, referring to the title of the head chef of a kitchen, a smug look on his face but enjoying himself.

"Not bad for a Sous-chef, Mister Callenreese.", Eiji countered, referring to the title of a second chef, working under the Chef de Cuisine.

"But this was only the first step. Let's see if you can crack an egg without destroying it. Let's take another bowl for that.", he suggested, taking a small bowl out of the shelf while putting the larger one a bit to the right.

"Why do we need an extra bowl for that?", Ash asked curiously.

"If you had done that before, you wouldn't have asked that.", Eiji replied, grinning knowingly at him.

"Ok, I'll show you how it's done. He took an egg, hit it against the edge of the bowl repeatedly but softly until the egg cracked. Then he slowly opened it at the crack and let it flow into the bowl without any eggshell falling into the bowl as well. Then, he put the egg into the large bowl for the cookies.

"Now, you try it.", Eiji encouraged him. "You have to do this with gentle moves. If you use force, the egg will break. The aim is to put the egg into the bowl without any eggshells.", Eiji explained to him.

Ash nodded and tried. But at the first attempt, he used to much force and destroyed the egg. "Fuck, that's harder than it looks. Sorry, Eiji." His eyes darkened as a sad look crossed his face. Ash was used to succeed at everything at the first try. Failing was a new experience for him. Eiji gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"It's fine. Try again. I think no one ever manages that at their first try."

Ash tried again. Eiji gave him some tips and watched him closely. He loved how hard Ash concentrated. When he did I that, he always got that cute little frown on his forehead, and his eyes dimmed slightly. Eiji secretly loved that expression.

This time, he managed to do it, but a little piece of eggshell fell into the bowl along with the egg. "Shit, there's eggshell in it. Do I have to start from the beginning?"

"No, you can just take this teaspoon and remove the eggshell."

Meanwhile, Eiji had stirred the bowl with the first egg, ensuring the batter was mixed thoroughly.

"Now put the egg into the bowl and stir it while I measure the vanilla extract.

After a moment, Eiji added the two teaspoons vanilla extract. Ash kept stirring while Eiji dissolved the baking soda in hot water and added it along with salt into the bowl while Ash kept stirring the bowl until the batter looked clean without any lumps remaining.

Then they switched sides. When Ash wanted to add the flour, he did so a bit too fast, and a huge cloud of flour blew back into their faces, covering them. After his coughing fit was over, Eiji burst out laughing until tears were filling his eyes.

"You've really never baked anything before. I believe you now.", Eiji smirked before cleaning his face. "Everyone knows you have to add flour slowly for that very reason." Ash was still coughing because he had gotten most of the flour into his face so that he couldn't reply at once.

"You look like a ghost now.", Eiji chuckled while wiping his hair and face with a towel. Ash glared at him, his eyes flaring up dangerously.

"You did that on purpose!"

Still, Eiji saw the amusement in his eyes and how he couldn't hide his smile.

"That's certainly possible.", Eiji admitted, a devilish sparkle in his eyes. "But I couldn't resist. And you were enjoying yourself. I could see it in your eyes."

"Whatever..."

"Okay, let's add the rest of the flour _slowly_ , and then we'll add the chocolate chips.”   
Eiji added the flour this time while Ash did the same with the chocolate chips. Eiji stirred it a last time before the cookies were done. Then, he took a good look at Ash and grinned.

"Ash, how did you get every single ingredient on your face? And your shirt? You look ridiculous. There are even some chocolate chips in your hair.", he said, removing a piece from his blonde hair. You look like a little kid." 

Eiji burst out laughing before inspecting him from head to toe. Then, before Ash could react, he quickly pulled his cell phone out of his jeans' pocket and took a photo.

"Wow, that looks great!", Eiji commented with beaming eyes before showing it to Ash.

"Eiji, that's not fair. I look ridiculous.", Ash complained half-heartedly.

"No, I want to hang this in my room. It will brighten my day. I love that picture of you. You look so homey and relaxed. As if you're having fun."

"Thank you, Eiji. Baking with you was really fun. Maybe we can do this another time?", he asked him, a happy sparkle in his eyes. Eiji smiled at him. "Of course."

"But we still have to put the cookies into the oven. "Just use a spoon and put them on here.", signaling to a baking tray. They put spoonfuls onto the tray and closed the oven.

"Now we have to wait for 10 minutes, and they're done."

"You've got chocolate on your face.", Ash remarked. "I bet you've eaten more chocolate chips than there are in the batter." Ash grinned wickedly when he saw a guilty look cross Eiji's face.

"Where?", Eiji asked him honestly. "Can you remove it?"

"I will." Ash's eyes sparkled as he removed some chocolate from his lips and then kissed him.

After they cleaned the kitchen, the cookies were done. They put them into a bowl and let them cool down. When Ash wanted to try one while hot, Eiji slapped his fingers away.

"Don't eat them while they're hot. You'll get a stomach ache. Wait until they're cold.", he said strictly. Ash pouted but did as he was told.

When they had eaten some cookies, they rested on the couch. Eiji sat on the couch, his photo books and stacks of photos next to him while Ash lay next to him, his head resting in Eiji's lap. He was already sleeping soundly. Eiji smiled softly at him while working on his photo project.

' _He's really like a little kid. Or a cat._ ', Eiji thought, grinning while stroking his blonde hair and placing a soft kiss on his forehead. 

_'Play with him and feed him, and he falls asleep right away._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one will be “First Kiss”
> 
> By the way, do you have an idea for a chapter called “Enemies to Lovers”? That wouldn’t work with Ash and Eiji obviously. 
> 
> Which characters could I write instead? I thought maybe Yut Lung and Sing? What do you think?


	10. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash finally asks Eiji if he can kiss him. And he doesn’t mean a quick peck on the cheek...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kissing scenes are hard to write. I still hope you’ll like this one.

It was the perfect moment.

It was spring, and the sun was shining down on them from a cloudless, clear blue sky. Eiji had suggested a picnic in a park close to their home. So they had walked there and had found a nice spot under a cherry tree. They had put a blanket there and had taken out the food they had prepared beforehand and some drinks.

While they had enjoyed the food, the cherry blossoms had rained down on them with every small breeze. Ash slowly began to understand why Japanese people were so fond of them. Even he had to admit; it was a breathtaking sight.

After their picnic, Eiji had taken some photos of the park, of them together and the cherry blossoms while Ash had enjoyed the sun while reading a book. Then Eiji just lay next to him and enjoyed the sun.

After some time, he dropped his book as well and lay down next to Eiji. He watched Eiji's posture, the small smile on his face and the closed eyes while he was humming to a tune while listening to music on his cell phone with headphones. Ash could watch him forever like that. He looked so content, happy and at peace with the world. He wondered if he could enjoy life as easily as Eiji did one day.

After a while, Eiji noticed him staring, opened his eyes again, and their gazes met.

"What is it?", Eiji asked him curiously, a soft smile appearing on his face. "You've been staring at me for a while now. I could feel it."

Usually, Ash would counter that with some witty remark. But not this time. Even he knew this was the wrong move right now. Not in such a romantic setting. Especially not when he wanted to ask him something important.

"There was something I wanted to ask you for a long time. But I was too afraid you'd say no. Or reject me.", Ash admitted honestly, lowering his eyes to avoid Eiji's gaze. Eiji turned to his side to get a better look at him.

"Ash, you don't have to be afraid. I'd do anything for you." Eiji took his hand and smiled warmly at him. His warm smile made him relax within seconds, and it gave him the courage he needed to ask him finally.

"Eiji, I'm sorry I only ask that now. I know I should have done that much sooner... But can I kiss you? And I don't mean a quick peck in the cheek but a real kiss."

Eiji's eyes sparkled with pure happiness. "I thought you'd never ask. Of course, you can kiss me, Ash. Always."

Eiji nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Actually, I wanted to kiss you for a long time, but I didn't want to force or pressure you. I wanted you to recover first and take your time until you're ready for it. I also wanted the choice to be yours.", he explained honestly. "That's why I haven't asked you yet."

"Ash returned the smile. "Thank you, Eiji. You're too good to be true. I've dreamed about kissing you in such a romantic setting, you know. It's so beautiful here."

Eiji looked around the park. "It's really the perfect setting.", Eiji agreed. "You can kiss me anytime you like, Ash."

Encouraged by that, Ash moved a bit closer and gently grabbed Eiji's face. He noticed how a faint blush ran over Eiji's cheeks. He looked at him, his brown eyes widening with a mixture of uncertainty and affection.

When moving closer, he saw Eiji's lips trembling slightly before Eiji leaned back a little. His lips felt so soft and warm when he finally touched them, kissed them.

He wanted to kiss Eiji for a very long time. Mainly because he wanted to show Eiji how much he loved him. He was terrible at expressing his real feelings with words. But maybe he could just show Eiji how much he loved him with this kiss?

When he started to kiss Eiji, his mind suddenly flatlined. Everything felt utterly new to him; he had never experienced something like this before. It was as if this really was his very first kiss.

His body moved on its own, his fingers gripping Eiji's hair and pulling him even closer while the rest of his body dissolved into Eiji's, ultimately becoming one. Ash could feel the warmth spreading through his body and felt his heart nearly bursting with happiness.

He could feel Eiji responding to the kiss, grabbing his hair as well, but not pushing any further, letting Ash stay in control. He could feel Eiji's inexperience because he was hesitating slightly at times, counting on him to take the lead.

Eiji closed his eyes slowly, and Ash did the same, slowly deepening the kiss into a more passionate one.

He could feel Eiji's heartbeat quickening and how Eiji's breathing was changing and became more fast-paced with every passing second. His lips tasted like pure sweetness and innocence, and his arm tightly around his waist made him instantly feel safe and protected. 

He had never thought that one single kiss could arouse so many different emotions within him. Kissing Eiji made him feel really alive, loved and truly happy. And he had never thought there could be a moment where he could feel even happier than he had already been while living with Eiji.

He slowly softened the kiss again, pulling back until their entangled lips parted, and he slowly pulled out of the embrace. Eiji's face was flushed entirely, and he was panting, unable to say anything for a moment. But there was suddenly a worried look on his face. 

_Maybe I did something wrong?_

"Eiji, are you fine? Why do you look so worried?", he asked while scrutinizing his face.

"No, it's fine.", Eiji said after catching his breath. Looking at his face, Ash didn't believe him. But then, Eiji reached for his cheek, gently wiping the tears away that were streaming down his face. It was only at that moment that Ash realized that he was crying.

_Tears? Why am I even crying? And why now? Maybe because it had felt entirely different from all the other kisses? Or because it was the first kiss I've given voluntarily? Because I was sharing this kiss with someone, I truly love?_

"I'm fine.", Ash said. "I don't even know why I'm crying.", he tried to explain his reaction. Eiji smiled softly at him, relaxing again.

"I must be a really lousy kisser, huh?", Eiji said, smirking at him. "I knew I'm inexperienced but - "

Suddenly Ash burst out laughing. "No, you idiot. It was the best kiss ever; it felt truly amazing.", he admitted through the tears that were filling his eyes.

"It felt amazing to me as well.", Eiji assured him, smiling and blushing again.

"Does that mean I can kiss you another time ?", Ash asked hopefully.

As a response, Eiji took his face into his hands and kissed him again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Kudos, comments, subscriptions/bookmarks are always appreciated. 
> 
> The next chapter will be “Roadtrip”


	11. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Eiji move to Japan and Eiji gives Ash something personal to put in his room since he didn’t take any personal items with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry. The next to chapters are “Road Trip” and “Enchanted Forest” I had a great idea about those two words and will write a longer story for them. So I changed the order of the words on the list a bit. I hope you don’t mind🙂
> 
> So I’ll continue today with “Moving In”

"It's nothing much compared to our apartment in New York.", Eiji said quietly, opening the door to their new apartment.

While he had been treated at a hospital in New York, Eiji had looked for an apartment in Izumo for them. Which hadn't been easy from New York but with Ibe and his family's help, Eiji had finally found one. According to Eiji, it was small, but it was close to his family's home and college.

After Eiji had unlocked the door, Ash peeked inside, then entered the apartment and looked around. He instantly liked it. It was small but modern and bright. It didn't have any furniture except for the kitchen that had come fully equipped. They had been lucky to buy it from the previous owner. In total, their apartment had a big living room, two smaller rooms for each of them, the kitchen as mentioned earlier, and one of those Japanese bathrooms he had read about. The living room also had a little balcony directed to the south so that they could enjoy the sun for hours there. He assumed that he wouldn't get shot here. Probably.

"Eiji, it's perfect. I love it. It will look really nice once we've settled in." Ash smiled at Eiji, and he returned his smile, obviously relieved that Ash liked it.

"I hope so.", Eiji said while looking around the rooms himself. He had only seen photos of it himself, after all. Ash stood behind him, then put an arm around him.

"Thank you for all your hard work. Renting an apartment in Izumo while still in New York probably wasn't easy. Sorry that I wasn't able to help you with that." Ash had a guilty conscience because he had done absolutely nothing to help Eiji.

"It's fine, Ash.", Eiji assured him. "You needed to rest after such a serious injury. And I haven't done much. My mom and Ibe helped me a lot.", Eiji replied, playing it down instantly.

Ash smiled knowingly at him. Sure, his mom and Ibe had probably helped with the paperwork, but Eiji had probably done most of the work, looking for apartments and contacting the landlords and making appointments his mom could go to.

Knowing Eiji, he had probably chosen their apartment with great care, knowing perfectly well that Ash had never had a real home, a place where he could relax and be himself.

First and foremost, Eiji wanted to create a home, especially for him. A safe haven and a cozy place where he felt protected and comfortable. But playing it down was so like Eiji that Ash couldn't help but smile.

"Eiji, you know I don't need a luxury apartment like the one we had in New York. The one in New York had always felt weird to me. I never felt comfortable there; it looked more like a museum than anything else. I felt like a stranger in my own apartment. I like this one much better. It looks bright, comfortable and cozy. And it will even look better when you have decorated it with some of your photos. And turned your room into a little photo studio."

"And when you've created a library in your room for all the books, you'll most likely buy.", Eiji added, grinning.

"So, which one of the rooms is mine?"  
  
_______________________

Ash woke up when the sun rays hit his face. He sat up and looked around in confusion but relaxed again when he saw Eiji next to him. He lay on the makeshift bed on his stomach and was busy making a list while Ash had still been sleeping next to him.

"Hey, Ash. You're awake. Welcome to your new life in Izumo." He smiled happily at him before removing some strands from his face.

"I'm making a list of things to buy for our apartment.", Eiji explained patiently while he slowly woke up. "Today, we can buy the most important things. I asked my mom for her car. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I look forward to furnishing and decorating the apartment with you, Ash!" Eiji beamed at him with shining eyes.

Ash lived for that innocent look in his eyes and his wide and honest smile. Eiji could find joy in the simplest things. It was the one thing that Ash admired about him. Maybe one day, he could enjoy life as easily as he did as well. He really hoped so.

In the morning, Eiji made a list of things they needed for the kitchen and all the other rooms: smaller furniture like lamps or chairs, cleaning products and a broom as well as a vacuum cleaner. And a ladder and a toolbox. Their top priority was a coffee machine, though.

Meanwhile, Ash had measured all of the rooms and had written down all the details on a sheet of paper. Then they discussed which furniture they needed and how to arrange it best in their small apartment.

That's a lot to buy." Eiji sighed dramatically but couldn't hide his excitement. "We probably need a whole week for that. It's a good thing we have enough free time at the moment. But that won't be cheap." A deep frown appeared on his forehead while he contemplated how they could afford all of that.

"Don't worry about it, Eiji. I'll pay for it. I still have enough money left from my gang leader days. It always hid some money on the side in case of emergencies. That should be enough for all the furniture."

"You can't pay for all of it. That's unfair!", Eiji exclaimed stubbornly while his burning brown eyes bored into his.

"Eiji, please accept it, ok? It's my way to thank you for saving my life and convincing me to go to Japan with you.", Ash pleaded with him. Then he grinned at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You can pay me back when you're a famous photographer."

Eiji still had that stubborn look on his face, but then his features softened, and he quietly nodded. "Fine, I'll accept your offer, but I'll pay you back later."

______________________

After spending several days in DIY stores and furniture stores, their new apartment looked pretty good.

Ash had put up most of the furniture himself or with Eiji's help. Eiji's most outstanding talent didn't lie in reading construction manuals and following them; that was for sure. So, while Ash had put up the big furniture like their beds, the wardrobe and the shelves for their living room, Eiji had done the same with their desks and chairs. Eiji had also installed all the lamps, had cleaned their apartment, and put away all their equipment for their kitchen. He also established the coffee machine and the rice cooker.

When he was finished, he had helped Ash finish putting up the shelf for their living room. The only thing that their apartment lacked was a couch that would only arrive in the next few days. Then, their apartment would be perfect. 

Eiji had also framed a few of his pictures and had hung it on several of the walls. Ash loved looking at them. They were bright and cheerful, and reflected the innocent and pure way he saw the world. Eiji had a good eye for detail, and his photos reminded him daily that photos could also be beautiful and create or freeze perfect, unforgettable memories forever. 

By the time they finished, their clothes were dirty; their faces were smeared with dirt, and droplets of sweat were running down their faces. Still, despite all the effort and the hard work he had done these last few days, Ash had never enjoyed himself more. He loved furnishing their apartment because it felt normal. This was the ordinary life he had always dreamed of. It felt great.

And he loved watching Eiji walking around their apartment in deep concentration. He always got that cute frown on his face when he did that. He also loved how Eiji was humming to himself, smiling all the time.

Somehow his smile had become even warmer since he was in Japan. Maybe because he was back in his hometown or perhaps because he knew they were safe now. Eiji was enjoying himself, too. It was visible in the happy glow in his eyes that made them shine a golden brown and in his posture, his good mood.

And, Ash had to admit, Eiji looked really cute when all sweaty and dirty. That was a part of him he hadn't seen yet. And he loved that side of him as well.

Ash was surprised how easily they had agreed on the furniture and all the things they would buy. Everything was just so easy with Eiji. If they argued, they quickly found a compromise and resolved everything within minutes.

The only thing that irritated Ash was Eiji's love for decoration. He had stopped at every cute detail that only served as decoration, like pillows, clocks, candles, outside lamps, or lanterns for their balcony. It drove Ash mad. Ash tried to rationally explain to Eiji that decorating didn't have a priority right now.

Eiji had quietly nodded, but he had looked so sad that Ash's heart had been broken just by looking at him. He tried to hide it, but Ash knew him too well. Ash sighed dramatically. Eiji had explained to him that he wanted to create a beautiful, colorful and warm home for him. For them together.

He finally grabbed Eiji's hand, stopping him, and they talked about it. In the end, they agreed that they would choose three things to decorate their apartment if they weren't too expensive.

Eiji's sparkling eyes had been totally worth it. He hummed the rest of the way, and his mood had brightened instantly. He always told Eiji he thought in too simple terms. Still, it was this character trait he loved about Eiji. It was so easy to make him happy.

Ash felt how he slowly relaxed and cheered up as well while being around him. He began to enjoy himself while he browsed the shelves, and for the first time, he felt how he relaxed and wondered if life in Japan would always be so easy. Maybe it was as long as Eiji was with him...

Eiji chose the items since Ash had no idea how you decorate a room. His hiding places had only been furnished with essential things since he never knew when he had to escape from there. And he didn't want to leave any personal information behind, so he never owned any personal items.

So, he was astonished when Eiji had given him a present at the end of the week.

He had told him it was something personal to decorate his room with. Ash's eyes had widened when he had unwrapped the present.

Eiji had given him two photos he had enlarged and put in a beautiful frame. One picture was the one he had been staring at for a long time in Cape Cod, the one where Griff and his five-year-old self were wearing a baseball uniform, and Griff had knelt, so they were at the same height while putting an arm around him, and both of them were smiling into the camera.

The other one was a photo of Eiji, himself and Shorter, where Shorter was standing in the middle, putting an arm around each of them and grinning mischievously into the camera. While Eiji was winking and smiling into the camera, Ash was smirking into the camera, a dangerous glint in his eyes while Shorter's sunglasses were resting on top of his head. A single tear had run down Ash's face before he had hugged Eiji and had thanked him.

He hadn't taken any personal belongings with him, and the few photos he had owned of Griff he had been forced to leave in Cape Cod since he had intended to keep his relation to Griffin a secret from Dino.

Eiji had given those photos to him because some personal items would help him feel at home here.

Eiji hadn't understood it yet. That he was always home as long as Eiji was by his side.

_Sometimes home isn't a place but a person._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks/subscriptions are always appreciated✨


	12. Emergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji takes Ash to Tokyo to buy a camera lens he had been looking for for along time. 
> 
> When they leave it’s already dark and they get lost in some dark alley
> 
> Before Eiji knows what happened he has a knife to his throat...
> 
> How will Ash react?

"Eiji, are you sure this is the right way? This area looks kind of shady..."

Ash looked around suspiciously at the small dark alley lying before them. Eiji didn't want to admit it, but Ash had realized they were lost. Eiji didn't have a good sense of direction. In New York, Ash always led the way, but this was his first time in Tokyo. Therefore, he had naively assumed that Eiji would know his way around since he had been to Tokyo several times before.

He had joined Eiji on a little trip to Tokyo because he had found a shop there that had the camera lens he had been looking for for a long time. According to Eiji, the lens was hard to find because they had stopped producing it. So, he had been thrilled to have found it in Tokyo and had made an appointment the following weekend.

Tokyo reminded him of New York. It was as Eiji had told him back in New York. Lots of cars and people. Only Tokyo was even bigger than New York, with even more people coming and going, but everything was more organized. 

Eiji showed him the Shibuya crossing, the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. 2.500 people cross the street at a time, coming from all directions but miraculously never running into each other. It was fascinating. In New York, such a crosswalk would result in utter chaos.

When you entered a subway here, people would stand in a queue, forming a straight line while people exited in the same orderly manner. They even had signs on the ground where to enter and exit, and the subway stopped at that exact spot.

In New York, you never let people exit first; you just entered any way you wanted and pushed people deeper into the train if the train was crowded or barked at them to move. Seeing how people behaved here, he felt like a barbarian while the people here behaved like adults were supposed to act like, respecting rules and other people.

They hadn't stayed long, but they had seen the Tokyo Tower, had been to Takeshita street in Harajuku because Eiji wanted him to see the cosplayers there, hoping he'd eventually understand his love for mangas. They had also been to Akihabara, where Eiji had looked for mangas, and Ash had found some books for himself, in Japanese and even in English.

At the end, they had also walked through Ueno park for a while before Eiji headed for his appointment at the photo shop. Ash had enjoyed the little sightseeing tour Eiji had given him. Tokyo was fascinating. From the Tokyo Tower, you could even see Mount Fuji from the top and how wide Tokyo was reaching. They even had a beach there you could barely make out beyond a suspension bridge that Eiji told him was called Rainbow Bridge.

When Eiji had found the camera shop, he had spent an hour looking around and bought a new camera bag and some other small items along with the lens. After Eiji had stuffed all the items in his backpack and they had left the shop, it was already dark outside.

Now, they were standing in a dark alley that reminded Ash too much of the most dangerous part of Manhattan. Eiji looked nervously at him, then tried to make out the streets on the map with his smartphone's flashlight.

"I'm not sure.", Eiji admitted honestly while looking at the map. The photo shop had been in a small alley next to a major shopping zone, but they had gone in the wrong direction. Ash had a bad feeling. He felt as if they were being watched. His survival instincts never failed him...

"Let's try this street over there!", have said, seeing some lights coming from that direction before rounding a corner. Which had been a pretty bad idea as it turned out. When Ash rounded the corner only seconds later, Eiji had dropped his bag while a guy stood behind him, holding a knife against his throat. Eiji's eyes had widened in fear as he looked at Ash.

"Give us all your money, and we won't harm you.", a man threatened them. He blended into the shadows of this dark alley perfectly with his back jeans and hoodie in the same color.

Ash felt two other people approaching behind him. He sighed deeply and then calmly asked Eiji a question.

"Eiji, is it true what you told me? That weapons are illegal in Japan?"

"Yes, it's true.", Eiji said, looking at him, his voice trembling slightly.

Ash grinned devilishly at them while he gave the guy the most dangerous and intense glare he could muster. To his amusement, he saw the guy flinch and how the knife on Eiji's throat loosened when his hand began to tremble.

Seeing his hesitation, Ash acted quickly, running towards the guy who had dared to put a knife against Eiji's throat at lightning-fast speed. He ran past him, appearing behind him, and with one quick move, he had twisted his arm in such an unnatural direction that the knife fell from his hand. At the same time, he grabbed Eiji with his other hand, pulling him to safety. After Eiji was safe, he told him to wait at the side of the road.

Before the guy could react, he knocked him out with a blow to his head, falling to the ground with a loud thud. The other two stared at him and, after sharing a glance, decided to attack him. Ash could see it in their eyes. Before they could act, though, Ash had thrown the knife from his first opponent at the one standing on the right, hitting his right shoulder with great force long before he could use the knife in his hand. He dropped the knife before screaming put in pain and shouting insults at him. Ash just punched him, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Then he grabbed the last one by the neck, who had just tried attacking him, pushing him forcefully against a wall. Then he held a knife against his throat.

"Leave. Now. Or you won't survive this night!", Ash barked threateningly in English, glaring at them viciously. A translation wasn't necessary. A threatening tone and a death glare were understood everywhere. Those guys had understood by now that they were no match for him. They grabbed the still unconscious guy who had threatened Eiji

and made a run for it.

Be grateful that you're not dead. Had we been in NYC, I would have killed you without any hesitation.

Ash returned to Eiji. He had crouched down at a wall, hugging his knees, and was trembling badly. Tears were running down his face while he was hyperventilating.

Eiji's state reminded him that this was the typical reaction to violence. Fear, terror and panic. In contrast, his calm, fearless and unemotional attitude regarding violence was not normal.

Eiji hadn't heard him approaching since he flinched slightly. Ash knelt down beside him and thought about how he could calm Eiji down. He mulled over what Eiji always did to soothe him. He could do that, too, right? He had to try, at least.

"Eiji, it's me, Ash. You're safe, ok? Everything's fine." He gently grabbed his hand and felt how Eiji relaxed a bit.

"A-Ash?", he gasped out, looking up, tears swimming in his eyes. It broke Ash's heart.

He slowly moved closer and gently hugged him. When Eiji relaxed, he pulled him closer, stroking the back of his head. Eiji pulled him closer, clinging to him like a lifeline as he sobbed into his shoulder. Ash didn't say anything else, yet patiently stayed like this until Eiji had calmed down and was breathing normally again. Then, he slowly let go and softly grabbed his face with both hands and wiped his tears away with his thumbs.

"Are you ok?", he asked before placing a small kiss on his forehead. Eiji always did that when he had a nightmare. It always made him feel protected and safe. He saw in Eiji's eyes that it worked on him as well because he attempted a small smile and nodded.

"I feel so pathetic. You stayed calm, like always. You're my hero."

"I'm not a hero, Eiji!"Ash exclaimed a bit too harshly. "I'm more of the evil opponent the hero fights against."

Then he took a deep breath to calm himself. "And reacting to violence with fear and panic is the normal reaction. It's my reaction that isn't normal. Because violence is normal to me.", Ash explained sadly.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I put us in danger. If I had admitted that we're lost, that wouldn't have happened. I promised you that you'd be safe in Japan.", Eiji replied, slowly standing up and grabbing his backpack again. He stood there with slumped shoulders, avoiding Ash's gaze. Then he looked up at him again and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"But thank you for saving me. Again.", he smiled warmly at him. "And you'll always be a hero to me." Ash stared at him incredulously before his features softened.

"I'll always protect and save you, Eiji.", Ash promised him seriously.

Then he snatched the map out of Eiji's hands. "This time, I'll lead the way.", he announced but couldn't hide the small grin on his face. He headed for the direction of the photo shop again after grabbing Eiji's hand.

"Don't let go of my hand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be star gazing ⭐️
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks/subscriptions are always welcome and motivate me to write more.


	13. Stargazing 💫

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji tries to explain to Ash the romantic aspect of stargazing.

"Stargazing?, Ash asked in surprise.

He and Eiji had spent the day at the beach. It was still late summer, but it got a bit chilly when evening came closer, so Ash had suggested they return home.

That's when Eiji had asked him if he knew what stargazing was. Rationally, he knew what stars and gazing meant, but he assumed by the way Eiji grinned at him that he didn't only mean watching astronomical constellations in the sky. He lay on a towel next to him, giving Eiji a questioning glance, raising his eyebrows at him.

Knowing Eiji, it was probably something romantic.

"You gaze at the stars.", Eiji simply said.

"Thanks, I know what the word stargazing means. But we don't have a telescope. Or binoculars. Something tells me that we're not doing this the scientific way, right?, Ash asked curiously.

"You have that look. The look you always get if you enjoy that you're smarter than me and know something I don't.", Ash complained while stubbornly turning away from him.

"Ash, don't be like that.", Eiji pleaded with him, enjoying himself immensely. He gently cupped his face and turned it in his direction again.

"It's not always easy to compete with a genius, you know? And I really love teaching you new things that aren't rational but emotional. Or romantic. Things that you can't comprehend on a rational level but are fun nonetheless. This is one of them."

"So? Enlighten me, Professor Okumura?", Ash teased him, his voice dripping with irony.

Eiji flicked his forehead. "Watch it, Aslan Jade Callenreese!" Ash grimaced in pain. "Ouch! Not that name, Eiji."

"Of course, you can go about stargazing scientifically, grab a telescope and go to one of the highest points to see them best. Today, the weather is perfect, too. But it's also romantic lying here in the darkness while looking at the stars with you -

"And freezing to death together probably is romantic as well.", Ash smirked while putting his arms around himself while shivering slightly.

"You have an amazing talent to destroy any of my romantic attempts; you know that? And to top it off, you're a softie.", he chastised him, but Ash could still hear the amusement in his voice. "Wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."

Since it got dark and the wind grew stronger, Eiji picked up their belongings from spending the day at the beach and returned with a hoddie, two blankets and a flashlight. When Ash had put on his hoodie, Eiji held something in front of his face, dangling by a neck strap from his fingers.

"Look what I found!", he said, grinning while pointing the flashlight at it. Ash sat up and looked at it in surprise.

"Binoculars.", he replied happily. "Does that mean I can also show you some constellations, or is that considered unromantic?"

"No, that's the point of stargazing. But we don't have a night sky map. I usually just look at the stars and leave the shapes they form to my imagination.", Eiji admitted honestly.

"That sounds like you.", Ash grinned at him. "But we don't need a map. I can show you some constellations that can be discovered easily."

"Really?", Eiji's voice brightened instantly. "Sometimes, I'm fortunate that my boyfriend is a genius!" He put two small lanterns next to them, so it wasn't totally dark, the weak flame flickering across their faces.

"To come back to the romantic aspect, stargazing is about being disconnected from the busy world and spending time with someone you love and reconnecting with each other in a secluded spot far away from any city lights.

You just enjoy the wonders our world has to offer together and admire the breathtaking view. You can try to hunt down constellations or make up your own. And tonight is perfect for stargazing. Look at how many stars are visible in the sky!" Eiji’s eyes were sparkling with wonder while he pointed to the sky. 

"Thanks for explaining the romantic part to a dumb guy like me. I can see how that can be considered romantic.", Ash reluctantly admitted.

On a perfect day, you can see up to 4.000 stars, did you know that?" Eiji shook his head.

"That's amazing.", Eiji exclaimed in surprise.

"You can see so many stars right now because the sky is darkest shortly before a full moon.", Ash explained patiently.

He would have told Eiji that stars were just self-luminous gaseous spheroidal celestial bodies of great mass which produce energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions. That stars are powered by nuclear fusion in their cores, mostly converting hydrogen into helium.

However, he got the feeling that such a highly scientific explanation would probably be considered unromantic, so he stopped himself just in time. 

As far as he had learned, romance and science were mutually exclusive, after all. And Eiji looked so happy right now; he didn't want to destroy this moment for Eiji and even less his pure and overjoyed smile when he looked at the sky.

Before lying down, they drank the rest of the hot chocolate they had brought with them to the beach in a Thermos flask so that it wouldn't get cold. Sitting here with his head resting on Eiji's shoulder while looking at the dark beach and listening to the sounds of the waves felt so peaceful and perfect. It was simple things like that he truly enjoyed in Izumo.

He had never had the time to enjoy such moments in New York, had never even considered them. Yet, Eiji always surprised him with such sweet ideas and explained them patiently to Ash if he didn't understand the meaning (romantic or not) behind them.

He slowly learned that enjoying himself like that was a great feeling. Eiji had taught him that not every experience had to be meaningful, that sometimes it was great to let yourself drift or go with the flow and just enjoy the moment. 

If you had led a life dominated by action and violence, it wasn't so easy to adjust to a quiet and peaceful life, just chill on a beach or on a couch, taking a nap or read books for hours. But he slowly got used to it with Eiji's help.

They lay back down and looked at the stars. "It's so beautiful. It makes you feel so small and insignificant.", Eiji said more to himself. Then he leaned his head closer to Ash's, giving him a sidelong glance.

"So, what constellations can you see in the sky?"

Ash smiled, put an arm around him, and pulled him closer before pointing at the different constellations and describing to Eiji what they looked like, so he could find them.


	14. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji want to surprise Ash for his birthday but Bones and Kong are terrified, telling him how that turned out the previous year. 
> 
> It had something to do with Russian roulette. 
> 
> But can Kong and Bones say no to Eiji?
> 
> And how will Ash react? Will they survive the evening?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I’m late. But birthday stories are my weakness and my idea kind of escalated. I still hope you’ll like it.

"Eiji, that's a terrible idea. He'll kill us! Don't you remember the Halloween incident?"

Kong stood there as if he'd rather wanted to be anywhere else but here and never stopped looking at the hallway where Ash was still talking to Alex in a commanding tone, giving him orders that he would pass on to the rest of Ash's gang later.

Kong's voice was barely a whisper as he stood there with Bones, trying to stop him from putting his plan into action. Both desperately tried to explain their reasoning to him.

Eiji felt a bit bad for them, but at the same time, he thought it was hilarious how scared they were of Ash. Not one of them saw the hurting teenager. They only saw the ruthless gang leader, his cold-blooded leadership, his iron willpower.

"Boss hates his birthday and doesn't care for it at all. If he even remembers it.", Bones said in a low voice while gripping Eiji's shoulders to put some sense into him.

"The last time Shorter surprised him on his birthday, Ash threw the cake into his face. Shorter had expected that reaction, though, and the cake landed in my face instead.", Bones complained. "Although the cake was delicious."

Eiji grinned. "That sounds like Ash."

”But that's not the point, Bones!", Kong chastised him. "Don't you remember what happened after that?" Bones paled and put his arms around himself while shivering.

"Don't remind me. I'll never forget that for the great of my life."

"What happened?", Eiji asked curiously.

"After that cake incident, Ash announced that the next person trying to surprise him on his birthday would play Russian roulette with him." Bones' voice cracked at the end.

"You didn't see his eyes, Eiji. They were glowing ominously like pure poison. Deadly.", Bones eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead.

"And he had that vicious smirk on his face as if he wished that someone would challenge him.", Kong elaborated further, who looked as scared as Bones, which was pretty funny given his bulky appearance.

"That was just a joke. Don't you think you're overdramatizing things?"

"Overdramatize? Our boss doesn't joke. If he told you the consequences for your actions, he would hold you to that. Without mercy."

"He's a wild beast, not a damn kitty. He's the perfect example that looks can be deceiving. He may look frail and handsome, but he's stronger and more deadly than anyone I know. And I don't want to mess with our Boss, that's for sure. No one pulls the trigger as fast as him. His skills are beyond human.", added quietly.

"While grinning like that, Ash had turned his revolver's cylinder a few times and then had fired to prove his point. The chamber had been empty, but I've never trembled so much as on this day. He had aimed right next to my face! It had sent shivers down my spine. He had looked like a prince of darkness. Or the Lord of the underworld. It was terrifying. It's a miracle we're still alive. Please, whatever you're planning, don't do it. We'll suffer the consequences, not you!"

"You're exaggerating. Ash is just bad at displaying emotions. He'll enjoy his little party.", Eiji said, radiating pure confidence. "Don't worry, I'll protect you.", Eiji winked at them. "Ash is one of the good guys. He has always protected you and had your back, right? Don't you want to thank him?"

"He's only nice to YOU, Eiji.", Bones reminded him.

"But he does have a point. Ash saved us plenty of times.", Kong whispered to Bones.

Seeing their resolve was breaking, he grinned and put his arms around both of them.

"I can count on you, right?", Eiji asked them with shining eyes. "Ash won't be mad; he'll love it. I promise." He let go of them and waited for an answer, knowing perfectly well they wouldn't say no to him. They spent a lot of time with him as his bodyguards and were close friends by now, so they wouldn't refuse him.

Kong and Bones looked at each other one last time, then shook their heads in resignation."I have a bad feeling about that."

"Me, too. But can you say no to Eiji if he looks so damn happy with those huge, sparkling eyes?"

Bones shook his head, then sighed in frustration.

"Damn, we're getting soft..."

___________________________________

When Ash came home in the evening, Kong opened the door, as usual. Yet, instead of letting him in, he remained standing in the doorway, blocking his path. Despite his burly aspect, he looked flustered.

"We really tried to stop him, Boss."

"What do you mean? Move, Kong! Now!", Ash ordered in irritation. He walked past Kong through the dark hallway to the living room. Suddenly, when he entered, two party poppers exploded over his head. Before he could react to that, Eiji had put his arms around him.

He felt his cheeks burn up and hesitated, totally caught off guard by Eiji's greeting. After a moment, he slowly hugged him as well.

"Happy birthday, Ash!"

Ash stared at him incredulously before realizing what he had just said. He let go when he saw that everybody was staring at him in surprise.

"My birthday? That's today?", he asked quietly, half-smiling.

"Yes, I baked a cake and some brownies for you. And those other sweets and desserts are from Mrs. Coleman, and the pie is from Mrs. Owen downstairs. When I mentioned that it was your birthday, they brought those over. Aren't they nice?", he beamed at him.

"You are friends with the housewives here?", Ash asked in pure disbelief.

"Well, we meet at the supermarket downstairs all the time. And since I can't leave the apartment, everyone here thinks that I'm your Chinese houseboy."

"Come on, blow out the candles.", Eiji said, grabbing his hand and leading him to the cake.

"That's stupid. I'm not a kid.", Ash exclaimed too harshly while glaring at him.

Eiji pouted, utterly unimpressed by his outburst, then stubbornly turned away from him. The rest of his gang had put some distance between them.

"You're no fun. And I even put 18 candles on the cake for you. That wasn't easy, you know? The cake is too sma - "

Ash ignored his blabbering, took a deep breath, and blew all the candles out at once.

"Happy now?

Eiji's eyes sparkled. "Yes." Then he put an arm around his shoulder. "Now close your eyes and make a wish. It has to be something abstract. Like happiness. Or health. It can't be material." Ash sighed dramatically, then closed his eyes.

"Ok, I wished for something. Now what?"

"Great! Don't tell anyone, or it won't come true." Ash rolled his eyes at him but couldn't hide his smile in time. He was such a kid at times. Or maybe it was because he had grown up too fast...

Ash looked at his gang, who stared at him in awe. "What are you morons waiting for? Start eating."

"Wait!", Eiji stopped him. "We have a present for you."

"If that is a picture of last Halloween, you'll feel my revenge.", Ash threatened them. Some of them flinched. Not Eiji, of course. He just smiled and handed him the present.

Ash unwrapped it and took a good look at it.

"That's a picture of all of us together.", exclaimed Bones happily. "Isn't it cool? Eiji took the photo in secret. We all signed it at the back."

"We wanted to tell you with this photo that we're all proud to have you as a leader. You gave us a home. It may not be perfect, but it's as close to a family as we can get. Thanks for always looking out for us, Boss."

It was Alex, his second-in-command, who had said that. Ash stared at him in disbelief but could see he wasn't joking. He had really meant that. He saw the same sentiment in everyone's eyes as he looked around. Ash wiped a tear away that had pricked his eyes before anyone saw them. Except for Eiji, who gave him a knowing glance but didn't say anything.

"Thanks, guys. It's great. Let's hang it somewhere where all of us can see it."

"You're not mad?", Bones asked carefully. I don't want to play Russian roulette with you.", he added, a slight tremble in his voice. Ash smirked mischievously at them.

"No, just for today, I'll let it slide. You can thank Eiji."

Then he looked at his gang more seriously. "I'll only say this once, so listen up. You're also the closest thing to a family I have, just so you know. So, I'll always look out for you. As your boss, your safety is my responsibility. That's why I'm so harsh with you. To make sure you listen to me and return home safely. And that's as emotional as I'll get, so start celebrating. And if you ever tell Shorter or anyone else what I've just told you, I'll kill you.", he said, grinning devilishly at them.

Most of them just stared at him, open-mouthed. Ash just shook his head, unable to hide his amusement.

"And now start eating! Before my good mood ends.", he smirked at them before he took a piece of the cake Eiji had made. His gang finally started eating and celebrating. They began chatting and teasing each other and didn't notice at all that Ash and Eiji didn't take part in their shenanigans anymore. 

"Thank you, Eiji!",

"Do I have to duel with you now? Russian roulette? Or will I only get a cake thrown into my face?" Eiji challenged him, smirking.

"Oh, I've just thrown the cake at Shorter because he dared to paint a pumpkin on top of it.", Ash explained. Shorter knew what would happen."

As for the Russian roulette thing, I just wanted to make sure no one would plan surprise parties anymore."

"Not even me? I could see in your eyes that you enjoyed yourself."

Ash nodded, then leaned on his shoulder.

"I did enjoy it. And your cake was delicious. I enjoy surprise parties planned by my Chinese houseboy."

Eiji smacked him on the back of his head. "Watch it! Or my next surprise party will be a Halloween party with pumpkins everywhere."

"Ouch!", Ash exclaimed, rubbing his head. "Don't you dare!", Ash exclaimed in pure horror. He could feel how all color drained from his face when he just imagined his apartment full of pumpkins.

"Thank you, Eiji! This was the first birthday I've truly enjoyed."

"I"m glad to hear that. Birthdays exist to celebrate and make wonderful memories together with people who love you. It's also about hopes, dreams and wishes about the future. About precious moments in life, you can look back on with a smile. I hope your wish will come true." Ash nodded quietly.

Then, Eiji looked at him. "I only wanted to achieve one thing by planning this party for you. To make you forget reality for a moment and enjoy yourself. Like a normal teenager. And I wanted to see it again. Your beautiful smile. I've missed it,you know?" He leaned on him, his head resting on his shoulder.

Ash wanted to reply something, but Eiji was already sleeping soundly. Ash put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. That idiot had probably spent weeks planning this party and keeping it secret from him.

_Thank you, Eiji. If I spend time with you, I feel like a typical teenager for once._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks/subscriptions make my day and motivate me to write more✨


	15. Music/Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash is bored while being at Shorter’s party. So, when Eiji asks him to dance, his answer sounds annoyed. 
> 
> So, Eiji stubbornly dances with someone else...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mixed the order up a bit. So this one is called “Music/Dancing”

He didn't even know why he was at this damn party. He usually didn't care for parties at all, but since the party was at Shorter's house, he had promised him he'd at least drop by for a short while.

Eiji had promised him he would come, too. That was the only highlight he looked forward to. Most people kept a reasonable distance away from him because he had a terrible and dangerous reputation. Eiji had impressed him when he had told him he didn't listen to rumors since they were rarely true. He had never been afraid of him or flinched, not even when he glared at him or had rude outbursts.

Now, he was bored, standing alone outside with a beer. Shorter was busy playing host and keeping the damage as small as possible while Eiji talked to his pole vaulting team. He noticed how the music slowly grew quieter until it was perfect for dancing with someone. He saw Eiji and Shorter move towards him.

"Hey, Ash, will you dance with me?", Eiji asked him cheerfully.

"Yeah, fine.", Ash replied in a bored tone. Damn, he was the worst. He really wanted to dance with Eiji, but instead of an honest and friendly reply, he sounded disinterested and annoyed. Which he was since he didn't like parties, but that wasn't Eiji's fault.

He immediately felt guilty about it, especially when he saw the hurt in Eiji's eyes. He didn't deserve such treatment. He was an ungrateful bastard. Before he could utter an apology, Eiji glared at him, eyes burning wildly.

"Fine, if it's such a burden for you to dance with me, I'll ask someone else.", Eiji snapped at him, turning away from him.

"You'll dance with me, Shorter, right?"

"Of course, Eiji. Let's go.", Shorter replied, taking Eiji's hand and leading him to the dance floor while grinning mischievously back at him. Shorter enjoyed this immensely. He deserved it, however. He watched Eiji and Shorter dance, and he had to admit, Eiji looked pretty good on the dance floor. He caught himself thinking that he wanted to make him smile like that, too, while dancing. When the song reached its end, he moved through the crowd towards Eiji, determined to correct his mistake.

"I'm really sorry, Eiji. I was an idiot. I'll apologize for my rude behavior. Will you please dance with me?", Ash asked him, giving him his brightest smile before bowing to him playfully and offering him his hand.

Eiji still feigned annoyance for a minute, leaving him standing in that awkward position but finally took his hand and smiled. "Fine, I'll forgive you."

They moved to the dance floor where a love song was playing. Eiji put his arms around his shoulders while Ash put his arms around his waist as they slowly moved to the rhythm of the music.

After a while, Eiji lay his head on his shoulder. A warm and fuzzy feeling rushed through his body, and for the first time, he relaxed into the touch and didn't flinch. Eiji's touch felt comforting and soft, and he felt safe in his arms. He smiled at Eiji, and this time it wasn't forced but genuine. He could drown in Eiji's huge, warm eyes.

"I didn't know you could dance. But you're good at everything, so I should have expected this."

"You're wrong. There's one thing I'm terrible at. I'm really bad at showing my true feelings. When you asked me to dance, I wanted to give you a sincere answer, but every time I look at you, my mind flatlines, and I forget what I wanted to say. Then I say something completely dumb."

"Thanks for explaining it to me. You're not that bad.", Eiji's eyes radiated pure happiness as he smiled at him while they continued dancing.

"Actually, I'm also bad at another thing. I wanted to ask you something for a long time, but I was afraid of your answer. Can I ask you now? Because I only have enough courage to ask that while drunk."

Eiji grinned at that. "The notorious bad boy Ash Lynx is scared of me?", he asked him, feigning astonishment with wide eyes staring at him.

"That's not funny, Eiji!", Ash complained, feeling discouraged. He looked away from him.

"Ok, sorry, I made fun of you. Please ask me. What is it?", Eiji asked curiously.

"Will you go out with me? On a date?"

Eiji's eyes lit up and sparkled a golden-brown as he beamed at him. He pulled him even closer and whispered something into his ear.

"Yes, I will." Ash could feel how a bright smile dawned on his face. Had Eiji just said yes? He couldn't believe how lucky he was. As a successful pole vaulter, he could date anyone. Yet, he really wanted to date a troublemaker like him? So Shorter had been right? Shorter had tried to convince him that Eiji liked him, but he hadn't believed him...

Eiji pulled him out of his thoughts when he looked up at him, grinning mischievously.

"I always wanted to ask you something, too, now that we're dancing and our faces are so close they're nearly touching." Eiji blushed a little, which looked cute. 

"What's that?", Ash asked, feeling his cheeks burning while suddenly realizing how close their faces were. Their noses were nearly touching.

Eiji moved even closer and looked directly into his eyes.

"When will you finally kiss me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> I love stories where Eiji dances with someone else to tell Ash to try better.
> 
> Comments, kudos and bookmarks/subscriptions are always appreciated and encourage me to write more. I always reply to comments but I usually take some time doing so.


	16. Pumpkin Patch🎃

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji convinces Ash to make a little trip to Hokkaido with him. What he doesn’t tell him is that Hokkaido is famous for its pumpkins...
> 
> What will happen if Ash is confronted with his fear?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a bit late but here’s the next chapter. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

"A trip to Hokkaido?"

Ash looked at Eiji in surprise. "Why do you want to go there? And why now?”

"Because Hokkaido is famous for its beautiful landscape and its fall leaves in the most beautiful colors. There's even a National Park with a lake that changes into five different colors. I could take some great photos there for my photo projects."Eiji patiently explained to him.

"And the best time to see the beautiful leaves in fall in mid-to-late October. There's also a beautiful mountain similar to Mt. Fuji. You can see it from the lake, but only if the sky and the air are crystal clear, especially in the mornings.", Eiji added, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That sounds beautiful.", Ash replied. "But what are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing. It's just... we have to fly there. It's 800 km away from here." When Ash's eye widened in surprise, and he looked utterly shocked, Eiji continued quickly.

"But it's still summer break, and we should enjoy it. It's the last weekend before college starts again. Besides, I promised you to show you my country."

"It's that far away? Japan always looks so small on a map. Compared to the US, I mean."

"It is, but we have many little islands. Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan's main islands. It's also known for its volcanoes, natural hot springs and ski areas. The flight takes 3 hours to New Chitose Airport."

"Fine, let's go then.", Ash said.

"Really, you mean it?", Eiji beamed at him. "I thought it would be harder to convince you.", he admitted honestly.

"Well, you're right. It's the last weekend before our summer break is over. Besides, I can't say no to you if you're so enthusiastic and excited about something. And I'd really like to see more of Japan."

____________________________

When they arrived in Hokkaido, the weather was great, so they enjoyed the sun and made a little walk through Akan National Park, where he took a lot of photos, and Ash admired the park's surroundings. The National Park offered leaves in all shapes and colors, which looked beautiful. Still, fall arrived here the earliest, so he was relieved that Ash had listened to him and had taken a warm coat with him. The wind was colder here, and the sun didn't spend as much warmth anymore.

The next day, Eiji dragged Ash out of bed early and had breakfast with a grumpy cat. However, it was worth it since the best view of the mountain was when the morning air was crystal clear. Later, clouds would cover most of the mountain, and it would be impossible to take some fantastic shots with his new camera.

Eiji took some photos of the mountain in perfect weather while Ash was more or less sleepwalking but slowly started looking around with interest. He stared at the Mt. Fuji look-alike and the lake in front of him.

"So, what do you think? Wasn't it a great idea to come here? I think it's the perfect end of our summer break." Eiji pinched his cheek when he didn't answer.

"Ouch! What was that for?", Ash complained, rubbing his cheek.

"To check if you're still alive and capable of understanding human speech.", Eiji grinned in amusement at him. "Wake up, ok? The area is too beautiful to miss it. Let's walk around for a bit.", he suggested while Ash rubbed his eyes. Eiji put an arm around his waist, and they walked along the lake and enjoyed the sun.

"Wow, it's true that the lake has different colors. It depends on the time of day and from which angle the sun reflects the water. It's so beautiful." Ash smiled at him.

"I hope my mood wasn't that bad.", he apologized to him. "You know I'm not an early riser."

"Yes, I know that, but don't worry. I'll get my revenge soon.", Eiji smirked at him devilishly before he took some more photos of the lake. Ash looked questioningly at him but didn't ask him what he had meant by that.

"Let's take a photo of us together, ok? A great photo of our trip together that we can hang in our apartment. I'd like to create countless precious memories together with you."   


_________________________

After a while, they left the National Park and took the train to a town near Sapporo.

Eiji had read about a fall festival that was celebrated there. With regional and seasonal food, arts and crafts, music and much more. They walked through the town, and Ash saw that many stalls and products had pumpkins on them.

"Eiji, what's with all the pumpkins here?", he asked anxiously, walking faster and gripping his hand more tightly.

Eiji wondered if that had been such a good idea to bring Ash here. But the pumpkin patches here were an incredible sight, and he wanted to take some photos. At the same time, he wondered if Ash's fear of pumpkins was just superficial and based on a bad memory or if he would panic when spotting them.

He didn't know how he'd react because the pumpkins in Hokkaido looked different from those in the US. They were much smaller, so he thought Ash would be ok.

He had always wanted to come here, to Hokkaido, but he also knew that Hokkaido was famous for its pumpkins. Everyone knew that in Japan. However, he had failed to mention that little detail to Ash...

"Hokkaido is also famous for its pumpkins.", Eiji explained, feeling guilty at once. "I'm sorry that I haven't told you. I thought you'd say no to this trip if you knew.", Eiji explained it to him honestly.

Ash let go of his hand and turned around to him, fists clenched and eyes burning dangerously before he gave up controlling his temper.

"I knew it! That there was something you were hiding!", Ash burst out furiously. "And of course I would have said no; those damn things sent shivers down my spine. I want them as far away from me as possi - "

Ash abruptly stopped mid-sentence and stood there, frozen up, staring at the field ahead of them that had just come into view. While walking on through the little town, they had reached the outskirts where many different things were cultivated and harvested.

In front of them lay a vast pumpkin patch. Ok, to be honest, pumpkin patch was a massive understatement. Nearly all the fields in front of them were covered in pumpkins. It looked more like a sea of pumpkins. The pumpkin patches were endlessly and reached as far as the eye could see.

Eiji had noticed that Ash had frozen up entirely and stared at the sight in front of him in disbelief, his eyes wide open in shock. Eiji watched him carefully. He wasn't any less surprised. He had assumed that they had some smaller pumpkin patches here, but he hadn't expected they would stretch that far. He would have warned Ash or wouldn't have brought him here if he had known. He felt like the worst person on the planet right now. What had he done?

"Please tell me I imagine that, Eiji. That's a p-p-pumpkin patch. And not one, but the whole area is full of pumpkins. They're everywhere.", Ash exclaimed, clenching his hands into fists so hard they were shaking.

"No, you don't imagine it. I thought it would help you overcome your fear of them if I brought you here. But I didn't know there would be so many. I'm so sorry, Ash."

"I don't want to overcome my damn fear!", Ash scowled at him angrily.

Ash stubbornly turned around and went back the way he had come. Eiji ran after him and took his hand. That's when he noticed that his hand was sweaty and that Ash looked even paler than usual. He was shivering and looked uncomfortable as his eyes darted nervously around for a way to escape. His whole posture screamed that he wanted to get out of here.

Eiji hugged him tightly. "It's fine, Ash. Please calm down. Do you want to leave?"

Ash nodded at him quietly while a single tear ran down his face. Eiji gently stroked the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't know there would be so many here. I assumed it would be a small pumpkin patch.", he apologized honestly to him. "

"I didn't know that you were that afraid of pumpkins. To me, you're the strongest and bravest person I know. So I didn't take your fear of pumpkins seriously. He pulled out of the hug and instead grabbed his hand again.

"Let's go somewhere else, ok?"

"But you wanted to take some photos, didn't you? Just do it, and I'll wait at some stall in town.", Ash suggested after he had calmed down.

"You're not mad?", Eiji asked in surprise. "I thought you'd never forgive me."

"You apologized.", Ash simply said. "And I could see that you were genuinely surprised as well when seeing those many pumpkin patches. Which means you didn't do it on purpose.", he explained his reasoning.

"I just assumed it was just a little pumpkin patch. I'm sorry I hurt you.", Eiji replied sadly, pulling him closer and leaning on his chest.

"It's fine. Let's forget about it.", Ash put an arm around Eiji and ruffled his hair. Then he pulled back and looked at him with an intensity that Eiji hadn't seen in a long time.

"But if you take only a small pumpkin home with you, I'll move out.", Ash threatened him, his eyes burning wildly. 

_______________________________

Eiji walked towards the pumpkin patches and took some great photos from all angles, and experimented with some new features on his camera. He hoped he could use them for some photo projects for college and show the results to Ibe and ask him for advice. So, he was glad that Ash hadn't been mad. 

Ash was impulsive and had a temper at times, but because of that, he was incapable of hiding anything from him. If he were mad, he would suffer from one of his angry outbursts. But if he said he had forgiven him, then that was the truth, and seconds later, he had forgotten all about it.

Twenty minutes later, he found him sitting in front of one of the stalls while eating a soup. He couldn't believe his eyes and immediately burst out laughing while seeing him.

"Ash stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What?", he asked, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He looked so cute and like a typical teenager now.

"Ash, do you know what you're eating?"

"No, I couldn't read the kanji. But it probably has something to do with pumpkins.", he guessed.

"Yes, it's pumpkin soup.", Eiji grinned at him and sat down next to him. "If you assumed it had something to do with pumpkins, why did you eat it?"

Ash just shrugged. "It's my revenge on the pumpkins. I vanquished and destroyed them by eating them. Besides, the soup is delicious."

Eiji stared at him. "That's one way to see it, I guess."

"Do you want to try?, Ash asked, holding out the spoon to him.

Eiji nodded and tried it. "It's really good! Maybe I can cook -"

"Don't you dare even think about it! No pumpkins in our apartment, Eiji Okumura!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> The next one is “Haunted House.”
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks/subscriptions are highly appreciated.


	17. Dreams And A Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji celebrates Ash’s birthday with him and asks him questions about his dreams and the future. Ash has no clue where he’s going with this but Eiji has something else planned for this evening. Something Ash will never expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave up following the order of the list. But I will write a story for each chapter, only not chronologically.  
> This chapter contains two words from the list: “Dreams” and “Proposal” I thought they would work together really well. 
> 
> The kissing scene was written for one of my readers who was disappointed that my music/dancing chapter didn’t end with a kissing scene.

"Happy birthday, Ash!", Eiji said before kissing him on the cheek. "It's a bit late to say that now. I would never be able to wake you up early enough for a sunrise, so I planned a little dinner to celebrate your birthday while watching the sunset. Isn't it beautiful here?"

Eiji had prepared a little picnic at the beach for Ash's birthday. The day was perfect. The sun was shining, and there was only a soft breeze in the air. Ash always felt uncomfortable when Eiji planned too much for his birthday.

To him, it still felt strange and new that someone would do so much for him just because he loved him. Still, Eiji saw that he enjoyed it in his shining eyes and his small smile.

"It's perfect, Eiji. Thank you. But you don't have to put in that much effort, you know?"

"I do it because I love you, and I want you to feel special. You deserve to be spoilt on your birthday. Ash, your birthday is probably not something you looked forward to in the past, right?" Ash nodded sadly at him.

"See? I want to change that. I want to create some precious birthday memories you'll like to remember or look back on. Your birthday is worth celebrating because you're still alive, and you were reborn into another life. You were given a new chance in a new world where you're safe. And planning your birthday is my way to show you that I'm glad you've been born. That I've met you. I hope you'll enjoy your normal life here."

"I do. It's just as you promised me. A life without violence and weapons. Quiet and peaceful. Sometimes I still think that it's too good to be true.", Ash admitted quietly.

"This is what you deserve, Ash. It's the compensation for all your suffering in the past.

I want to celebrate many more birthdays with you like that.", Eiji replied while leaning on his shoulder. Ash leaned on him as well. "I'd love that."

They ate the little dinner Eiji had prepared and enjoyed the sun and the sound of the waves. Eiji loved how the wind played with Ash's hair and made his blonde strands dancing in the air and across his face. He always tried to remove them from his eyes, but they moved right back. He could watch him like that for hours. The sun reflected his bright green eyes and made them shine like emeralds.

Since he had come here, Ash's eyes slowly had brightened more and more, and he saw his smile more often. It wasn't forced anymore like back in New York. It was genuine and lit up his whole face. He looked even more handsome if he smiled like that.

Now, he had that dreamy look that Eiji had seen here in Izumo for the first time. He looked like that when he was reading a book or just daydreaming or enjoying the moment. It was a good sign because it meant that Ash was relaxed and happy. He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings anymore. It meant he felt safe here.

Ash wasn't good with words, so he rarely used phrases like I love you or told him that he was happy. However, Eiji saw it in his posture, his behavior, his gestures. In the way, he bought his favorite cake on the way home or offered to cook something if he was tired. He hoped that they would spend the rest of their lives like that. Forever.

So, Eiji had something else planned for this evening. Ash would probably be shocked, but that was fine. Eiji expected that reaction from him. But it would all work out, he was certain of it. Their souls were connected, after all.

They ate the dessert, a chocolate cake from their favorite café, in comfortable silence before Eiji asked him something.

"Do you have any wishes for your birthday? Anything you want to do?"

"I don't need anything, Eiji. Except for you." Eiji smiled softly at that.

"That's sweet. But don't you have dreams?", he asked him. "About the future? About us?"

I never dared to dream, Eiji. You know why.", Ash replied, looking down at his hands.

"But now you're safe here. You know that, right?", Eiji asked him, putting his hand on his. Ash looked up again and met his gaze.

"Yes. But I have everything, Eiji. Well, maybe a better job than the one at the café one day. But I have to improve my Japanese for that first. I'd like to work around books one day. That's my dream. In a library or a book store."

"I'm sure you'll find a job you love one day.", Eiji smiled encouragingly at him.

"Yes, I hope so, too. I'm perfectly happy here with you. I just want to stay by your side. That's all I need. I just want to fall asleep next to you every night."

"I feel the same way, Ash. With you by my side, every day is a little brighter. I'm so glad I met you. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"But why did you ask me that? I feel as if that's one of the times where I have no clue where you're going with these questions. But I know you're not asking that out of the blue. There's a meaning behind it I don't understand yet."

"You've improved. You can read between the lines now. There is a meaning behind it, you're right." When Ash looked at him in confusion and his eyebrows drew together, Eiji burst out laughing. "Ash, don't look so worried. Everything's fine."

"I wanted to ask you something important. Something that will probably surprise you.

Eiji rummaged through his bag, looking for a small square-shaped box.

"The sun is just setting. Perfect timing. Look, isn't it beautiful?", he asked, pointing to the sky to distract Ash a little from the box he now held in his hand. He wanted to wait for the perfect moment.

"It's so beautiful it's breathtaking.", Ash said while looking at the sparkling sea reflected by the setting sun. The sky was colored in so many different colors; it looked like a painting, from orange to pink to purple to light blue.

Eiji put an arm around him. "I thought you'd like it. You told me once in New York that the sunrise and the sunset is the only thing worth seeing. So I thought doing this here at sunset would be perfect."

"I remember that. I love it here in Izumo. It feels as if time moves more slowly here. I've always wished I could lead an ordinary life like this. I could imagine spending the rest of my life here with you." Then a frown crossed his features as he looked at him in utter bewilderment. "But what did you mean by doing this here?"

"I'm glad to hear that you love your life here. I wanted to give you this."

He showed him a little box with golden letters on top and opened it. Inside was a golden ring with a little sparkling brown stone set into it. Eiji had the same ring with a green stone. He loved the idea that the stones reflected their different eye colors. Besides, he wanted a ring that was special and unique. He had actually saved a long time for it, but that was something he'd never tell Ash.

"Ash, will you marry me?", Eiji asked, giving him his brightest smile while holding the box out to him.

Ash stared at him first, completely dumbfounded, then at the ring with his eyes wide open.

His mouth dropped open, and he blinked rapidly as if trying to process what Eiji had just said. Now Eiji was glad he hadn't gotten down on his knees. He had thought about it but had assumed Ash would only feel more uncomfortable. Eiji was well aware that Ash had never expected him to ask that. Somewhere in the back of his smart mind, he was still convinced that no one would ever marry someone like him.

"I - what - Eiji, you can't marry me!", Ash stuttered, stumbling over every syllable. Eiji felt slightly guilty because, to him, it was kind of funny. That reaction didn't faze Eiji. He had expected it. That was so like Ash...

"Ash", Eiji began, touching his cheek with one hand before removing some strands out of his face. "Why can't I marry you? I love you. And you love me as well, right?"

"Yes, but - you shouldn't marry me. You'll find someone better one day. Someone who deserves someone as selfless and good as you.", he said honestly. "I'll only bring you misery. All the people I loved left me eventually. It's because I'm not worth it."

"Ash, I'll never find someone better than you. We're soulmates; our souls are bound forever. We're meant to be together. Us meeting in New York wasn't a coincidence. It was fate.", Eiji softly insisted while looking directly into his eyes.

"And you're wrong. You don't bring me misery, but happiness. So, you deserve me because you're perfect for me. You're smart, handsome, kind, and most of all, I didn't go through all the trouble of saving you so I could marry someone else."

"But - " Ash had relaxed, but there was still some doubt lingering behind. Eiji saw it in the way his eyes had darkened slightly.

"You're the only one I want to marry. I have a weakness for bad boys with blonde hair and green eyes. Please accept it, ok? You said it yourself that you want to spend the rest of your life with me.", Eiji encouraged him, giving him his most radiant smile.

"You're really sure about that?", Ash asked him, avoiding his gaze.

Eiji gently turned his face towards him again. "I'm sure, Ash. But if that's too fast for you, it's fine. We don't have to get engaged now."

"No, I just never expected that.", he admitted honestly. "But marriage? Isn't that a bit soon?", he asked carefully.

"Ash, relax. It's just an engagement. It's just a promise to each other that we'll always be together. We can take our time. We don't have to marry now. Let's just wait until we're both ready, ok?"

Ash quietly nodded and relaxed visibly. Then, a small smile dawned on his features, and his eyes lit up. "Fine, if you're sure, Eiji, I'll accept. Yes, I’ll marry you. Because I love you, and I'm damn certain I'll never find anyone else as selfless and kindhearted as you."

With trembling fingers, he reached for the ring. Eiji shook his head in disbelief, still smiling.

"That's not how you do it, Ash. I put the ring on your finger. Give me your hand." When Ash looked at him in confusion, he clarified it. "Your left hand, Ash."

Ash smiled apologetically at him and held out his hand. Eiji gently put the ring on his finger. "It looks great on you!" Eiji beamed at him.

"Now, you can put mine on. He gave him the other box of the same color. "Do you like it? I love how the stones reflect our eye color."

"They're perfect, Eiji. Like you. I love the idea behind it. They're beautiful."

Ash took the ring out of the box, and after Eiji had extended his hand, he slowly put the ring on his finger.

"So, we're engaged now?" What do you usually do now? Can I kiss you now?"

Eiji grinned at him. "Of course! And then we'll celebrate with some sparkling wine.", Eiji grinned, showing him the bottle in a bottle cooler that he had successfully hidden from Ash's sight.

"You've planned it all through until the end. And you knew I'd say yes."

"Of course, what else were you going to say? We're connected soul to soul. Saying no is not an option." Eiji grinned wickedly at him.

Ash smiled at that, then moved closer, gently kissing him.

Eiji was always stunned that one single kiss set free so many different feelings in him. Affection, love, passion and pure happiness. All those emotions were surging through him, and when their lips touched, it felt like electric sparks were flying in the air around them and running through his body.

Then, a warm and fuzzy feeling spread through him that he only felt when kissing Ash. It felt wonderful, and Eiji wished it would last forever. When Ash kissed him, he felt happy, loved and more alive than ever before.

The sensation overwhelmed him, taking him completely by surprise each time. Every emotion, every touch, every scent was overpowering him. If he hadn't put his arms around Ash, he would have probably stumbled or fallen.

He knew his movements were still a bit clumsy, and he felt a bit awkward at times, but Ash had told him he found his hesitation cute, and he loved his innocence. He genuinely enjoyed kissing Ash and always wished the kiss would last longer. That this moment would last forever...

Eiji could feel the warmth spreading through his body and felt his heart nearly bursting with happiness. Ash made him feel special, loved and truly happy. As if he was the center of his world. The only person that mattered to him.

Ash rarely initiated a kiss, and when he did, he was usually really happy. Ash had kissed him spontaneously, in the spur of the moment because he had felt comfortable and relaxed and wanted to show Eiji how much he enjoyed this moment with him. It was his way of saying, _I love you_. Or _I will marry you_.

When Ash slowly softened the kiss again and pulled away from him, there was happiness sparkling in his green eyes that Eiji wanted to see more often.

While Eiji was still trying to catch his breath, a mischievous grin appeared on Ash's face.

"I think my _fiancé_ mentioned sparkling wine earlier?" he asked before he opened the bottle and filled two glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> I hope you’ve liked it. I always wanted to write a proposal scene😄 
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks/subscriptions are always welcome and encourage me to write more. Thank you all for your many comments, I hadn’t expected that. I’ll answer all of them soon✨


	18. Domesticated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Ibe visit Ash and Eiji in Japan. When Ash opens the door in his sleepy state, Ibe and Max laugh at him and he shoves the door into their faces. 
> 
> What will happen next?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally written for my story “Another Missed Flight” but it didn’t work out.
> 
> It’s a story where Ash and Eiji have been living in Japan for a while and Ibe and Max visit them.

"Ash, please open the door, ok?", Eiji called from the kitchen. The doorbell had just rung, and Eiji was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen for Max and Ibe and themselves.

Max and Ibe had returned to Japan, so they had invited them to have a little breakfast here before visiting Eiji's family together. Ibe would stay in Izumo while Max would return to New York in a few days.

"But I haven't showered, and I'm still wearing my rumpled t-shirt and shorts.", Ash complained, standing in the door to the kitchen while he looked down at his rumpled white shirt and dark blue shorts. Ash was while yawning, standing in the entrance to the kitchen while he looked down at his rumpled white shirt, dark blue shorts, and bare feet.

"And how exactly is that my problem? I told you half an hour ago to shower, my little sleepy head. Now deal with the consequences."

But Eiji couldn't help but smile at him. When Ash stood there with his blonde hair messed up from sleep while rubbing his eyes and his cheeks still puffy from sleep, he finally looked like the younger one. Eiji secretly loved that sleepy look on Ash; it was so cute. Ash looked so innocent and adorable, like a little kid. He wished he could hug him, but he was busy cooking.

Ash grumbled something unintelligible but reluctantly went to the door and opened it.

Max and Ibe gaped at him in surprise when seeing him standing there. Eiji cast a glance at the door and grinned before putting the breakfast on the table in their living-room. They both saw Ash's rumpled clothes, his messy and unkempt hair, and his bare feet. Ash's blonde hair was hanging in loose strands across his face while blinking at them. They stared at his pale face that was looking at them drowsily, sleepy eyes blinking and cheeks still red from sleep.

Max and Ibe stared at him from top to bottom, taking in his sloppy appearance, then looked at each other and burst out laughing. Eiji could barely hide his grin while watching that scene on the way to the kitchen. He had woken Ash up an hour ago, but he was just hopeless.

When Eiji peeked around the corner, Ash had just stubbornly shut the door into their faces. Max, however, had quickly put his foot in the doorway at the last second, before Ash had managed to close the door completely. He would have intervened, but he couldn't be in two places at the same time. And he was sure Max could handle his son. But he still heard them arguing.

"Come on, Ash, don't be like that. We've just never seen you like that before. Your sleepy face and your bed head with blonde strands sticking out at all sides look hilarious.", Max smirked at him, enjoying himself immensely while inspecting Ash's appearance again. Ash just glared at him but reluctantly opened the door again.

"Good Morning, Max, Ibe.", Eiji greeted them happily, coming out of the living-room after laying the table.

"Judging by your amused faces, you've just seen the hilariously sleepy and grumpy version of Ash. Sorry about that. I told him an hour ago to get up, but he's a hopeless sleepy head. I eventually gave up because I needed to prepare breakfast. That's normal Ash behavior. He's always tired because he reads books till 2 a.m.

"When we burst out laughing, he shoved the door back into our faces.", Max complained, but his grin betrayed him.

Eiji flicked Ash's forehead before he scolded him for his impolite behavior.

"Aslan Jade Callenreese! That's completely rude. I thought I had taught you some manners these last few months. Apologize. Now! Or there will be no breakfast for you!"

"Ouch!" Ash flinched slightly, rubbing his forehead. A frown appeared on his forehead while his eyes were burning wildly and boring into Eiji's, challenging him. Eiji glared right back, completely unimpressed. Max and Ibe just stared at them, then grinned knowingly at each other.

"Not that name, Eiji.", Ash complained while a pained expression crossed his face.

Eiji stared at him intensely with raised eyebrows as if waiting for something.

Finally, Ash sighed dramatically before looking at Max and Ibe.

"Fine. I'm sorry that I shoved the door into your faces. I shouldn't have done that."

"And?", Eiji asked him, giving him a stern look.

"I'm sorry I didn't get up when you told me to, Eiji. I should have helped you preparing breakfast. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Eiji smiled at him, then grinned at Max and Ibe.

Max and Ibe stared at Ash in amazement and nodded at him, accepting his apology, then grinned back at Eiji, giving him a surprised glance.

Eiji moved closer to Ash and kissed him on the cheek before ruffling his hair.

"Go shower and dress while we're having our first cup of coffee." Ash quietly nodded and moved to the bathroom but not before glaring at Max one more time.

"Wow, you domesticated the lynx. He's more like a house cat now.", Max grinned. "But, I'm glad you two are still getting along."

"Of course. To me, he has never been a dangerous and untamable wildcat. His look was intense, but underneath his mask, a little boy's broken soul was crying, and his heart was bleeding. I could always see his suffering even if no one else could. We're soulmates, after all.", Eiji simply said.

"It wasn't always easy at the beginning, but he's slowly recovering. But he's still a night owl and, as you could see, impossible to wake up in the mornings."

"I know it doesn't look like it at the moment, but Ash does a lot around the house as well. Only he's more active in the evening. But he also made breakfast for me several times, and he helps me a lot and supports me when I have a hard time keeping up with college assignments. He put up most of the furniture, too.", Eiji explained proudly.

"We complete each other perfectly. I just wish Ash and you would be more honest with each other. Ash looked forward to meeting you again, Max."

That's when Ash returned to the living room. His hair was still damp, and he wore a green shirt and jeans that looked brand new.

"Hey, those are the clothes I gave you before you left NYC. Jessica was right. They look great on you. The t-shirt really brings out your eyes.", Max exclaimed happily before Ash sat down next to him. Ash's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as they always did when he was praised. It made Ash uncomfortable because praise and compliments were new to him. It was adorable. When Ash wanted to serve himself food, Eiji slapped his hand away.

"Ash, watch your manners. You always serve guests first. This isn't a hideout in Manhattan but our apartment.", he scolded him while he looked at Ash intently.

"Fine, whatever.", Ash muttered but began filling the plates of their guests and then his and Eiji's. "So, what did I miss?"

"We were just talking about how Eiji domesticated you. You look more like a cat now than a lynx.", Max grinned. "I like this new version of you. You seem to recover slowly. Your eyes are brighter, and you smile more. I'm relieved."

"Yes, I am recovering, but I still have a long way to go. The lynx stayed behind in NYC. It's all thanks to Eiji. He was always there for me when I had a hard time. I would have never managed it without him.", he added, looking at Eiji gratefully, who smiled back.

"I always dreamed of a normal life. And so far, I enjoy it immensely. Thanks for all your help. You saved my life in so many ways. Especially you, dad."

Max put an arm around him and ruffled his hair. "Anytime, kid! Someone has to look after you.", he grinned. Ash abruptly pulled back while his eyes were glowing dangerously.

"Stop that, old man! I'm not a damn kid!", he exclaimed furiously.

Max just grinned wickedly, utterly unfazed by his outburst.

"Your outburst proves the opposite.", he replied calmly, smirking at him.

Ash crossed his arms and stubbornly turned away, pouting.

"If you pout like that, you look even more like a little kid.", Max teased him.

Eiji and Ibe looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Technically, you are a kid.", Eiji explained to him. "In Japan, you're only an adult when your 20."

"Which side are you on?", complained Ash, glaring at him. Eiji just smiled innocently at him and reached for a plate in front of him.

"Try the pancakes. Ash made them. His pancakes are the best!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading💖
> 
> Kudos, comments, bookmarks/subscriptions are always welcome and make my day.


	19. Neighbors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eiji comes back from the supermarket and collides with his new, mysterious neighbor that scares all the other tenants in his apartment complex. 
> 
> While his neighbor rudely shoves the door into his face, he notices that he lost one of his belongings.
> 
> Will he confront his neighbor again? And how will he react?

"Watch where you're going, idiot. Are you fucking blind or what?"

Eiji had just arrived home, carrying two huge bags from the convenience store next to the apartment complex, and had really not seen where he was walking. But the only other apartment was empty, so he wasn't worried about walking into someone.

He had heard someone else had rented the apartment next to him. There were rumors that he was handsome but had an intense look and a bad reputation that scared most people away. Rumor had it that he was in a gang, had been in jail, and owned a gun that he always wore tucked into his jeans. Still, he hadn't seen him for weeks, so he wasn't used to running into people here.

But this time, he had run into his neighbor and, since he was in a hurry and had walked pretty fast, they both crashed and landed with a loud thud on the floor. Eiji had dropped his bags, of course, and all the contents had landed on the floor and on his neighbor who looked at him with a death glare, green eyes burning wildly into his own.

Still, Eiji didn't care for rumors. There was always a grain of truth to them, he had to admit, but most of it was exaggerated and entirely made up. He quickly picked up his things and put them into his bags again.

"I'm so sorry!", Eiji exclaimed, feeling like the worst klutz ever while picking up all the groceries quickly and putting them into his bags again. He could feel how his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Why couldn't he just meet people without always embarrassing himself?

Clearly irritated, the guy threw some items that had fallen in front of his door into one of his bags and left.

"Watch where you're going next time!", he growled coldly before shutting the door with a loud bang.

"He didn't have to get that mad.", Eiji thought, pouting at the closed door. Still, there had been something about him that had aroused his interest. Yes, he was handsome. More like drop-dead gorgeous. But that wasn't what had made him curious. It was his posture, his body language that screamed Stay away from me. When the guy had dropped the items into his bag, his hands had touched for a fraction of a second, and he had immediately pulled his hand back as if burnt. What had that been about?

But what Eiji had made curious was the cold look in his eyes. His eyes were of a beautiful color that was pretty rare even in New York; he had never seen such mesmerizing green eyes before. At first glance, they were cold and cruel, and he understood why people were scared. But at the same time, they were so captivating and alluring; he had kept staring at him for a moment too long to be still considered polite. While staring at him, Eiji had seen something else in his eyes. Something he wanted to hide from the world. His eyes weren't clear like his own, they were clouded, and the color was dimmed, so he looked as if he had gone through a lot. They displayed a darkness and a deep loneliness in them that had left him stunned.

When Eiji opened his apartment, he noticed something sparkling on the floor. It was a necklace that looked like dog tags. Next to it, in the dimly lit hallway, he saw a cell phone. He picked it up and looked at it. The screensaver had appeared when he had picked it up. It was a photo of his neighbor and a guy with a purple mohawk who had his arm around him and grinned mischievously. His neighbor stubbornly looked away, but there was a small smile on his face that betrayed him.

_So he can smile, huh?_

Eiji looked at the dog tags and the phone and sighed deeply. It seemed as if he had to meet his neighbor again. And he probably had to buy him a new phone since the display was cracked. Just great! After he had brought his bags inside, he knocked at his door. After a moment, he heard footsteps approaching.

"You again? What the hell do you want?", he asked in a bad mood, glaring at him.

He had an intense look that could render a whole room silent within seconds. Eiji stared at him for a moment before remembering why he had knocked in the first place.

"You dropped this." Eiji held out the dog tags to him. The guy stared at them, and a soft expression flickered across his face for a tiny moment. Then his poker face returned.

He ripped the necklace out of Eiji's hands and glared at him angrily, eyes flaring up.

"Give me that!", he exclaimed harshly. Then, he noticed how stunned Eiji was because his features softened slightly.

"Sorry. That necklace is important to me.", he explained. "Thank you."

Then he quickly closed the door again.

"Wait!", Eiji called out. "I found something else on the floor that belonged to you. At least, I think so? Is this yours, too?", he asked him quickly.

He showed him a smartphone. His neighbor stared at him, then at the phone. He put a hand in his back pocket, looking for his phone.

"Shit, I didn't notice I had dropped it. Thanks. Anything else?"

"Your phone has a cracked display. This is probably my fault. I'll pay you for the damage.", Eiji added guiltily.

"No, it's fine. The crack isn't new, so it wasn't from the fall earlier."

Relief ran through Eiji when he heard that. "That's a relief. I don't have much money.", Eiji replied honestly, smiling shyly at him.

"Then, why did you even tell me? I probably wouldn't have noticed.", he asked curiously, suddenly seeming more interested in him. Eiji smiled, relieved at the first attempt at conversation.

"I don't like deceiving people. It's wrong.", Eiji replied honestly, looking directly at him.

"You're a strange one. Anything else? I was about to eat something."

Eiji frowned and pointed at the leftovers of a hotdog that lay on a plate behind him.

"Please tell me that you're not going to eat that. How old is that, two or three days?"

"So? What's it to you?", his neighbor asked in an impatient tone, obviously annoyed.

"Look, I'm sorry that I ran into you. Can I make up for it by inviting you to dinner? Because I won't let you eat that. Eating that will probably kill you.", Eiji exclaimed in pure horror and disgust while wrinkling his nose at the smell of food gone bad.

"No, it's fine.", his neighbor said, closing the door. At the last second, Eiji put his foot in the door.

"What's the hell is wrong with you? Everyone else is scared of me, but you invite me, a stranger with a bad reputation and a gun tucked into his jeans, over to dinner? Do you have a death wish, or are you just as innocent as you look?", he exclaimed in irritation, his green eyes glowing dangerously in the dim lighting. But his features had softened, and there was a barely visible smile on his face.

"The latter. And it's Eiji. My name. Now, come on before I change my mind to cook something for someone as rude as you are.", hen stubbornly insisted.

You don't give up so easily, Eiji, do you?", he asked, smirking at him. Still, he didn't look as annoyed as a few minutes ago.

"No, I don't. Especially if I see you eat something that can only lead to food poisoning; I can't let that happen.", Eiji declared resolutely. "I wanted to cook anyway."

Then he looked firmly at him. "Will you finally tell me your name?"

"Ash."

"Well, Ash, do you like avocado shrimp salad?"


	20. Breakup (And Reunion)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a story similar to the fight Ash and Eiji had in episode 12. Some of the details added are from the manga.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that break up doesn’t mean a conflict in a romantic relationship but in a close (platonic) friendship in this story.

Eiji lay on his bed, a hand covering his face, and thought about their argument from a few minutes ago. _Argument_ wasn't the right word for it. It had been more of a fight where both had raised their voices and had shouted angrily at each other, their burning gazes boring into each other.

Ash had been utterly cold these last few days. He had been busy and had only come home in the middle of the night. His clothes were always covered in blood, but he didn't talk about it. He had closed himself off completely. Eiji had tried to talk to him, to comfort him, but Ash hadn't reacted at all and had stayed silent.

Eiji had been worried because he had distanced himself from him, and he didn't get through to him anymore. He only did that when something was on his mind, and he needed to focus on a mission, on surviving. Or when he wanted to protect him from his world.

Ash was tense and stressed out, so he just fell into bed, exhausted and drained, without explaining anything to Eiji. It deeply frustrated him. He was used to Ash hiding important matters from him as a way to protect him. Even so, he usually told him the rough censored version, at least...

He and his gang were planning strategies all day and were always busy. Once, Eiji had overheard them talking, and Ash had ordered to make them submit to him or to kill them. His voice had been so cold and indifferent that it had sent shivers down his spine. That wasn't the Ash he knew...

Still, he had decided to trust Ash unconditionally. To believe in him. Eiji knew that Ash killed people to survive. He didn't like that, but at the same time, he realized that he had no choice if they attacked him. Yet, this time it was different...

Since Ash had given him the silent treatment, he had read the newspaper that was always lying in the kitchen. According to the newspaper articles, the conflicts between street gangs were intensifying, and many people had been killed. In one report, Eiji had seen a picture of the victims that had been shot.

According to the police, all the victims had dropped their weapons but had still been shot. They had been shot precisely between the eyes. Eiji didn't know much, but he had seen for himself that Ash always aimed between the eyes. He had done precisely that in Dino's mansion when he had rescued him. It was practically his signature move.

So, when Ash came home the next time, he had confronted him with the article. To his astonishment, he hadn't even tried to deny it, saying they had shot his friends to save themselves, and they had gotten what they deserved.

When Eiji told him that only the strong could say that, that not everyone had a talent like him, he got furious, shouting at him that power was everything in his world.

Eiji knew perfectly well that he wasn't gifted like Ash. He was ordinary like those foot soldiers he had killed. They had only followed orders and had been part of a gang because they hadn't been strong enough to protect themselves otherwise. It was practically what he had done. He had joined a gang to protect himself in a way since he was defenseless as well. So, killing those people was useless and unnecessarily cruel.

Alex had once told him that Ash never killed the soldiers or regular members or followers of a gang. Ash always went straight to their leader and their second in command and killed them because they were responsible for their gang's actions. Cut the head of a snake, and the rest would wither away. So, he usually spared the rest of them. Most people knew that and respected Ash for that.

So, Eiji had wondered why he had killed the rest of the gang members this time mercilessly as well. That wasn't like him. He didn't shoot unarmed people. He only killed if he was attacked first. So, what had changed? This was cold-blooded murder, a warning to all other gangs not to turn against him, or they would suffer the consequences. It was a declaration of war signed with blood.

Eiji had told him that he was right. He didn't belong in his world and would have died without him a long time ago.

Still, he had argued, this wasn't like him at all. At the moment, Ash wasn't his usual self; he was slowly turning into the monster everyone wanted to see in him. Eiji would never just silently stand by and let that happen! This wasn't the Ash he, Shorter and Skip had known and loved. Ash had never killed unresisting people before...

"You're not the Ash that Skip, Shorter and I know!"

When Eiji had shouted that at him, he had seen the hurt and pain reflected in Ash's eyes in the way his eyes had flared when glaring at him. Yet, simultaneously, he had noticed in the way his green eyes had dimmed that Ash had realized that Eiji had been telling him the harsh truth, a truth he hadn't wanted to hear. That he hated himself for the way, he handled things right now.

Ash had grabbed his jacket and had stubbornly stormed out of the room, accusing him of not knowing what it felt like to have a great talent that you didn't want to possess. He had screamed at him that he had never wished to acquire such a skill in the first place before he had run away.

Eiji had shouted his name and ran to the door, but Ash had already disappeared. Eiji had felt guilty as soon as the words had left his mouth. He had wanted to be honest towards Ash, but he had never meant to hurt him. 

And yet, his eyes had drowned in hurt and betrayal. Ash would think that the only person he had trusted had also abandoned him now. Like everyone else had done before Eiji had entered his life. He couldn't let it end like this. He had to apologize or explain his outburst to him. However, he had no idea where Ash would have gone...

That night, Eiji couldn't sleep. Ash's last words and the devastating sadness reflected in his green eyes continuously were dancing in front of his eyes like a broken video on infinite loop that repeated the same scenario over and over again.

When Kong and Bones came the next morning, Eiji told them about their fight. Their reaction was hilarious because they were utterly shocked that he had dared to fight with Ash. Apparently, they were profoundly impressed and saw him in another light now. He would have burst out laughing if he hadn't been so worried about Ash.

Finally, Bones and Kong took him to the Public Library, where Ash was quietly sitting, reading a book.

Eiji was stunned for a minute and just stood there watching him read a book on one of the tables. At first glance, he looked like the other people there, but the way he sat far away from them, he seemed so alone. He had never seen such indescribable and profound loneliness before. Seeing that, he wanted to protect him from his fate even more desperately. A fate that carried him away, drifting farther away from him...

That was the moment when he had decided that he would always believe in him unconditionally, no matter what would happen. Even if Ash had no one else, at least he would be there for him, support him and do anything for him. He swore to himself that he would always stay by his side, have faith in him, never give up on him or abandon him.

He walked up to him and had to smile when Ash turned away from him, pouting. With his observational skills, he had probably already heard him as soon as he entered the main hall. When he pouted like that, he finally looked like the younger one; it was adorable.

When Ash mentioned Ibe, Eiji was so surprised that Ash had talked to him that he had raised his voice and all the people around him shushed him. He could feel how his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. 

"Let's go outside.", Ash simply said while grabbing his jacket. They ate hotdogs and then watched as the sun hit the water, making it sparkle in the sunset.

"About last night.", Eiji began quietly while looking at the water and the skyline behind it. "For me, being friends is about saying what you really feel, even if it's painful.", he explained to him, while carefully approaching the subject of their fight again. "But I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry.", he apologized honestly. 

Ash had stared at the waterfront ahead of him as well. Now, he lowered his gaze and sighed deeply. 

"I know. I just lashed out because what you said was true. I just didn't want to hear it because I didn't like how I handled this matter, either. But Arthur left me no choice.", he explained his outburst to him.

Then, he put an arm around his shoulder, smiling for the first time.

"Let's go back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading✨
> 
> Kudos, comments, bookmarks/subscriptions are highly appreciated. 
> 
> I also publish the stories on my Tumblr emeraldeyes23. Feel free to contact me there as well🙂


	21. Art Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter where Ash and Eiji have to work together in their art class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this is a story where Eiji is a new student and Ash and Eiji barely know each other. Ash has just noticed Eiji pole-vaulting when leaving the school one day.

Ash sat in his art class and was bored as always. He highly appreciated literature but art was not for him. With literature, you could escape into other worlds for days or even weeks if you had enough imagination. Especially in his cruel world, he loved doing that. It was his way to escape.

When looking at art, you also dived into fictional worlds, but the worlds were already fixed or set. Ash liked to use his own imagination in creating imaginary worlds that only he could see or dive into, so he wasn't interested in art at all.

He saw the beauty in art and also saw the effort artists made with each little detail they added, the different colors and brushes they used, and could also see how much thought was put behind each picture.

Still, art pieces, especially portraits, reminded him too much of the photos his abusers took of him, and it just hit too close to home as far as he was concerned.

So, he usually sat in art class because he had no choice since it was an obligatory class and started daydreaming or reading books until his literature class started.

Until his art teacher told everyone to form pairs and sit opposite each other. Then, they were supposed to draw each other, which meant portraits. This was a day where he should have skipped school...

But if he were lucky, no one would partner with him, and he could continue reading his book under the table.

With his bad reputation, no one would dare to sit opposite him or even draw him. Everyone was too scared to even look at him and steered clear of him.

Except for Shorter, but he was in another class since he was older than him and in a higher grade...

So, Ash began reading a book. The teacher wouldn't say anything since the teachers were as scared of him as the students. As long as he had excellent grades, the teachers tended to overlook his rude outbursts, his skipping of classes and his late appearance.

"Hey, can I be your partner for this class?"

Ash was so shocked that he looked up at the student standing in front of him. He had black hair and honey brown eyes as he smiled innocently at him.

"You don't want to partner with me. Look for someone else.", he said, turning to his book again.

"But I'd like to draw you. Can I? As a thank you for saving me the other day."

Ash had saved Eiji from Arthur, a well-known bully in school. Since Eiji was new and had not many friends yet, was way too naive and couldn't defend himself, Arthur had found a new victim in him. He was easy prey. Even if he was a good athlete, he was never defending himself and just stayed silent.

To be honest, he hadn't saved him because he liked him but because he despised Arthur. He was a jerk and a complete loser who hated Ash and everyone more successful than he was. So basically, he hated everyone and loved bullying the weak.

"That's not necessary. I just hate Arthur. That's all."

"Eiji, that's a great idea to partner with Ash.", his art teacher said encouragingly. "I'd like to see your results at the end of the class. You'll explain your drawing and your thoughts behind it." Then she turned to Ash with a more severe glance. 

"And, Ash, no skipping this time. If you miss another project in this class, you'll fail this class even if your other grades are excellent. If you'd only make an effort, you could pass this class easily as well.", she told him sternly.

"Eiji, please encourage him to draw you. He seems to like you. And he can draw pretty well if he wants to."

Ash sighed and finally dropped his book. Then he shrugged and looked at Eiji.

"Whatever. Tell me what I need to do."

"I just need to see your face. That's all. I want to draw your green eyes. In Japan, people don't have green eyes. They're all a different shade of brown.

So your eyes fascinate me. Your blonde hair, too. And I heard some interesting things about you.", he said while a small smile danced on his lips.

"Like what? That I'm dangerous and was in jail? Or that I sleep with everyone around here?", Ash asked him, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

Eiji's smile died instantly as his eyes burnt wildly into his.

"No! That's not what I meant at all. And I never listen to rumors. They're barely true. I like to get to know people myself and get my own impression of them instead of listening to stories of others.", Eiji said firmly. Ash stared at him in utter disbelief. That wasn't the answer he had expected.

"No, I heard from Shorter that you're brilliant and a bookworm. Shorter always hangs out with you, so what he tells me is probably true." Eiji smiled at him.

"Your point?", Ash asked impatiently while looking at him. Eiji irritated him. He wasn't fazed at all by the rumors he had mentioned, and he wasn't scared to sit close to him and looked directly into his eyes without flinching when he wasn't sketching. No one dared to look into his eyes. Ever.

Yet, Eiji kept smiling at him and talked to him without any hesitation or any traces of fear. He had huge brown eyes that smiled warmly at him and weren't hiding anything. All his emotions were displayed openly on his face so that Ash relaxed more and more. 

He reluctantly admitted to himself that Eiji was the first student who didn't have any ulterior motives. His innocence wasn't an act, as he had suspected at first. His honesty and innocence were genuine since he was incapable of hiding his true emotions.

"I'm not good at literature, so I wondered if you could tutor me? We're reading "The Catcher in the Rye" and I have no clue about that book. And my English isn't that good. I often don't understand the slang words. But Shorter meant you love that book. So, will you do it?"

"I'll give you an answer only after I've seen your picture."

"I've drawn two, actually." Eiji grinned at him.

He turned his sketch pad around to him and showed it to him.

"This is pretty good, Eiji. Do I really look like that? So sad?"

"Sometimes, yes.", Eiji replied sincerely. "You often look as if you want to be somewhere else. Escape into another world where you can be free. But something is keeping you from being free. It's reflected in your eyes. They're overshadowed by darkness."

Ash stared at him in surprise, speechless for once.

"That's why I've drawn the other picture. Eiji showed him the other one. It was drawn as well as the first one, but instead of the sad look, he wore a soft little smile that reached his eyes and brightened them.

Eiji had even colored his eyes and his hair, highlighting them.

"Why the second picture? And why do I smile like that?"

"The second picture is the soft smile I want to see more often. You often wear it when you watch our training.", Eiji told him. "It looks great on you and lights up your eyes.", he clarified for him.

"I don't watch your training. I just like lying there in the sun. Your training at the same time is a mere coincidence.", Ash stubbornly replied, turning away from him. When he turned around to him again, Eiji had that knowing smile that made it evident that he wasn't fooled.

Sometimes, it looked as if Eiji saw more than he wanted him to see... penetrating his poker face and the emotions he had buried deep inside without making an effort.

"You're lying. You only lie there on Mondays at the exact time we train there. Strange coincidence, huh?, he asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Think whatever you like." Ash crossed his arms and avoided his gaze.

Then, Ash took a deep breath and reluctantly opened his sketch pad and tried to draw Eiji. He had a hard time concentrating since Eiji smiled at him every time he looked up from his sketch pad. He finally focused on the sketch and tried to think back to the training he had watched.

Of course, it wasn't a coincidence he watched the training. He admired Eiji. When he was pole vaulting, it looked for a moment as if he could fly. For Ash, that was what pure freedom had to look like.

He had always dreamed about flying anywhere he wanted, about being free of all the constraints pulling him back here. He had given up fighting for his own freedom a long time ago.

Then, one time, when he was walking home from school, he had seen him, how Eiji had easily lifted himself up in the air and had flown like a bird in the blue sky before he had landed on the mat again. That moment had given him new hope to try again. Maybe he could still fly if he tried...

After a while, Ash was done and showed him the picture with a mischievous smile.

"Liar! I knew you watched my training!", Eiji exclaimed, feigning to be offended. Then he grinned at him. "But the drawing is amazing. You have drawn it incredibly well."

"I watch your training because I admire you, Eiji; you know how to fly. How to be free."

Then he walked out of the classroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Kudos, comments, subscriptions/ bookmarks are always welcome. 
> 
> You can find me on Twitter and Tumblr as well:  
> Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/Kiya_AJC  
> Tumblr: emeraldeyes23.tumblr.com


	22. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone has a soulmate, Eiji is all alone. His soulmate is far away, so he can’t communicate his thoughts to him as all the others around him.  
> He often dreams of meeting him, especially because he experienced all the pain he suffered through together which him. 
> 
> One day, he gets an offer to live in New York. And guess where his soulmate lives...
> 
> Will Eiji meet him? Or will Ash keep his distance? And what will Ash’s best friend do when Ash stubbornly refuses to meet Eiji?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love Soulmate AU so I lost control. Maybe I’ll write a mother part since I really like this story. 
> 
> Please note that the sentences written in Italics are communicated telepathically through the bond while the rest is said aloud.

_An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break._

Eiji had grown up with this saying. In his world, everyone had a soulmate. All his classmates had one, his parents and his sister. Most people had a soulmate that didn't live far away, and they could communicate telepathically, just by sending thoughts or feelings to each other. They also heard if the other one was injured or scared, overjoyed or happy if the emotions intensified.

Now that he was going to school, he wondered why he couldn't communicate with his soul mate. His parents had tried to explain that a soul mate's bond was easier to connect to if both people sharing the bond lived next to each other.

If his soul mate lived far away, maybe in another country, the bond was still there, but it was impossible to communicate telepathically. But you still noticed your soul mate's presence and could send emotions through the bond. Your soulmate was always present, like a little humming sound in the background.

Eiji hadn't believed his parents. He felt the presence of his soulmate, but it was faint, and he felt lonely because all the people around him could communicate with their soul mate, and they were best friends that shared everything. So Eiji often dreamed of meeting his soul mate and was convinced he would meet him one day.

One night, he woke up screaming. Tears streamed down his face while fear, panic and pain surged through him, making his whole body tremble while tears flowed down his face without knowing the reason.

After a moment, he realized that those horrible and intense emotions were coming from his soulmate. He was scared to death and was suffering so much that it affected him as well. Eiji felt that he was injured. The emotions were so intense that Eiji could feel the injuries and the pain on his body as well. Eiji felt the raw pain as if it were his own. It was nearly unbearable, and he wondered how much more his soulmate had to suffer.

He curled up in a ball and hugged himself while he cried, and his whole body shook from that horrible experience. His soulmate's emotions were so intense, they overwhelmed him, and he couldn't control them. All he could do was cry himself to sleep. His parents didn't know what to do, either. In their country, people lived peaceful lives, and a soulmate that experienced traumatic events or physical pain was rare except for minor injuries or accidents. So their doctor had no advice either about how to handle this unique situation.

His parents always ran to him and hugged him, assuring him they were by his side until he had calmed down. But at that point, he woke up screaming every night, and his parents grew worried.

One day, his mom asked him what he wanted to do. She assured him that if he could control the bond, he could also influence the emotions that came through to him from his soul mate's side. He also told him of the possibility to block his soul mate's emotions so that he wouldn't feel them anymore.

"No, I'll never do that!", Eiji exclaimed angrily. "My soulmate is suffering. I can't just block him when he goes through so much pain! I want to be there for him. What can I do to help him? To show him that he isn't alone?", he asked her desperately while tears streamed down his face.

His mom gently stroked his hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"You're a good boy, Eiji. It's only natural that you want to help your soulmate. But please be careful. If emotions get too strong, they can affect you and your mental or physical health as well.", she explained to him while she looked at him with concern in her brown eyes.

"I can show you how to control emotions. Then, they wouldn't affect you this much."

When Eiji glared at his mom, she clarified it to him.

"If you're overwhelmed by his emotions, you can't help your soul mate. If you can control your bond, you can also control how much his emotions affect you personally. If you manage to do that, you can help your soulmate better. Eiji smiled happily at that. "Then, I'll try!"

"If you want to help your soul mate, try sending emotions to him. He'll always notice them. If he's suffering, intensify the feelings you're sending to him. Try to send calming and soothing emotions to him. They will help your soul mate even if he doesn't respond. You'll probably notice through the bond how he calms down or relaxes a bit, or falls asleep again.

Eiji nodded, wiping away his tears. "Thank you, mom. I'll try that next time."

"Your soulmate is lucky to have someone as kindhearted as you, Eiji. I'm sure he can feel your love, warmth and comfort through the bond."  
_________________________

_Seven years later_

Eiji had just landed in New York a couple of hours ago. Now, he was busy cleaning his new apartment whole humming to himself cheerfully. After his pole vaulting accident, Ibe had offered him a job as his assistant in New York while finishing his degree in photography there.

_‘What are you so happy about?’_

Eiji was so shocked; he dropped the cup of coffee he had been holding, spilling the contents everywhere. Eiji sighed in frustration but was more interested in the question that had resonated through the bond.

That question had been transmitted through telepathy. How could that be? They couldn't communicate telepathically. But, now, he also noticed that their bond was stronger than before. He could feel more than a soft humming sound coming through the bond. He felt the emotions of his soulmate more clearly now.

"What? How is that possible? I could never talk to you before!", Eiji exclaimed in pure surprise.

_'Sorry for scaring you. It's possible because you're closer to me now; I can feel it. Did you movesomewhere else recently?'_

_"Uh, yes, I moved to the US. In fact, I've just arrived today.", Eiji explained to him._

_'Then, it makes sense that our bond is stronger now. Because I'm American.'_  


After a little pause, he continued, but Eiji could feel his amusement coming through the bond.

_'You do realize that you don't have to say everything out loud when talking to me, right?'_

_'Oh, sorry. I was too excited to realize that. I've always wanted to talk to you. What's your name?"_

_'Ash. What about you? Where are you from? And how old are you?'_

_'I'm Eiji, and I'm 19. I'm from Japan. What about you?'_

_'I'm 17. Where exactly did you move to in the US?'_

_'New York City.'_

_'Wow, it's a small world. I live in NYC.'_

“You do?”, Eiji exclaimed overjoyed. "Does that mean you can show me around? That I can meet you? What do you look like? I've always wanted to meet you!"

"You did?", Ash exclaimed in surprise. "After all I've done to you? Don't you hate me?", Ash asked him, this time aloud. Eiji felt his devastating sadness through the bond.

"What are you talking about? How could I ever hate my soulmate?', Eiji replied in surprise. "I don't know what happened to you, but the people hurting you are responsible, never you."

_'I just wished that I could have done more for you. I wanted to hug you and wipe your tears away. And punch the person who did that to you! I felt so powerless..._

_'Thanks. You really mean that. I can feel it through the bond. But I don't think I can meet you yet. I'm sorry. I have difficulties trusting people. You'll probably be disappointed in me anyway. I lead a dangerous and violent life on the streets. I don't want to drag you into this. You sound as if you have led a peaceful life in a nice neighborhood.'_

_'It's fine. I wanted to meet you, but it doesn't have to be now. I'll stay here for a year, at least. So, we can always meet later. But I'd love to talk to you more. I really enjoyed it.'_

_'Thank you for being so understanding. I'd like that. I enjoyed talking to you, too. I have to go now. Talk to you later. Welcome to New York. If you need some tips about New York, ask me anytime. I know some great places that aren't in any tourist guide.'_

_'Great! Thank you. Talk to you later.'_  
__________________________

"Ash, what's wrong with you today? You're spacing out all the time. And I bet you haven't heard a word I've said!", Shorter scolded him while they had lunch at the Chang Dai, the restaurant Shorter's sister owned.

"If I didn't know you better, I would say you're in love.", Shorter teased him.

"Cut the crap, Shorter. Although this time, you're closer to the truth than you think...

"Spill it, Ash! What happened? You just looked as if you were communicating with your soul mate. But you're soulmate lives far away - "

Ash couldn't hide his small smile fast enough, so Shorter stared at him in surprise.

"Wait, does that mean you were communicating with your soulmate?", Shorter asked curiously.

 _'You sound happy, Ash. Did something good happen?'_ Eiji's voice was transmitted through the bond.

_'Not really. My best friend just found out I can communicate with you. And now he's bugging me with questions.'_

_'I hope I can meet him one day. He sounds like a good friend. You're lucky to have him.'_

_'I guess so. He's a pain in the ass, but he's a good guy.'_

"You're doing it again! Ignoring me,I mean. You're a genius. Shouldn't you be able two handle two conversations at the same time?", Shorter asked him, shooting him a piercing glare.

Ash rolled his eyes. "I can only communicate with him since yesterday. I'm new to this, ok?"

_'Eiji, can I talk to you later? I can't focus on two conversations at once.'_

_'Ok. I have to check in with my counselor at college now anyway.'_

"My soul mate told me he'd like to meet you."

"I'd like to meet him, too. So why can you communicate all of a sudden? What's he like? Where's he from?", Shorter asked excitedly. When he didn't answer right away, Shorter grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.

"Spit it out, Ash. Tell me everything!" Ash sighed before pulling away from him. "Fine! Let go of me."

"His name is Eiji, and he's Japanese. He's 19 and has just moved to New York. He's pretty nice and has led a better life than we did. He studies photography."

"So, when will you meet him?", Shorter asked curiously.

"I won't.”, Ash insisted stubbornly, crossing his arms. “I'm a gang leader. I only put him in danger. Meeting him can't lead to anything good.", Ash said, sighing deeply.

"Your sad eyes tell something different. They reflect your desperate wish to meet him. So, just do it."

"He'll only be disappointed. I mean, just look at me and my torn clothes. I don't have anything to offer him. I'm a ruthless gang leader while he's a law-abiding citizen. It would never work out.”, he replied hopelessly. 

“When he hears the rumors about me, he'll stay away from me for sure. And if he ever learns about my traumatic past, he'll feel disgusted. I will save us both the trouble of going through all of that.", Ash explained, his eyes downcast and drowning in sorrow.

"Sounds to me as if you're just too scared to meet him.", Shorter said, looking at him with concern.

"Shut up!" Ash stubbornly turned away from him.

"Ash, didn't you tell me how much your soulmate's help meant to you while you were raped and abused? How he gave you hope and the courage never to give up? How much he comforted you although he was living on a different continent? Someone who has done so much for you and has always helped you through those traumatic experiences would never be this shallow. He probably worried a lot about you and shared your pain with you all the time. So, I bet he does want to meet you.

"He does. But I put him through so much pain. He must have suffered a lot because of me. He could probably feel all the pain I felt. How can he ever forgive me?", Ash asked, sitting there with slumped shoulders.

"What's there to forgive? It wasn't your fault. Eiji probably wanted to be there for you. To show you that you're not alone."

Ash nodded quietly. "He said something like that."

"You see? Ash, you are a kind and smart guy and a great friend. You deserve someone kind who accepts you the way you are. You went through a lot, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve a great soulmate. Please promise me you'll meet him."

Ash thought about it. He wanted to meet him. He sounded so kind, and all the emotions he felt through their bond were so cheerful and warm. It gave him new hope and cheered him up. But would it be alright..?"

"Ok, done. You'll meet your soulmate this evening at the Chang Dai.", Shorter said, holding up Ash's phone while grinning wickedly at him. There was a text message on the screen.

_Hey, I changed my mind about not meeting you. Do you have time this evening at 7 pm?_  
_I'll pick you up if you tell me where you live. We can have dinner at a nice restaurant, I know, and talk."_

_Ash._

"What the fuck? What have you done?", Ash asked angrily while all color drained from his face.

Eiji was studying photography, so he had asked Ash for his number to send him some pics he had taken. Usually, Ash never gave his number to anyone, but this was his soulmate...

When he had thought about Shorter's advice, he had stolen Ash's phone and written a message to Eiji.

"Fuck, Shorter! I can't meet him this evening! I'll tell him that it was a mistake.", Ash said while beginning to write another message to Eiji on his phone.

Before he could send it, though, he received another message with Eiji's address and the following reply:

_Ash, I'm so happy you want to meet me! I'm free this evening. I really look forward to meeting you. I've always wondered what you look like. See you later!_

_Eiji_

Ash finally put away his phone and admitted defeat. Eiji was so excited to meet him; he could never cancel it again. It would break his heart. He could never do that to Eiji... Not after all he had done for him.

He had never given up because Eiji had sent him calming messages in those dark times, continually reminding him that he wasn't alone. And if he was perfectly honest, he wanted to meet him, too.

"Fine, you win. Thanks for always complicating my life. My life would be so boring without you." Ash smirked at him.

"Anytime. Now, you owe me."

_____________________

Eiji waited outside when a red motorcycle parked in front of him. He didn't need to see the face under the helmet to know that this was his soul mate. He had recognized it instantly through the bond.

When the guy got off his motorbike and took off his helmet, Eiji was stunned. He had never seen such golden hair before. When Ash looked at him for the first time, he just stood there, open-mouthed while he stared into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

The guy looked like a supermodel: tall, slender body, golden hair and emerald eyes. Even the hoodie, his torn jeans and his red converse looked incredible on him.

When he had gotten over his initial surprise, he walked towards him, smiling.

"Hey, Ash. It's nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to this evening." Eiji beamed at him.

Ash smiled at him. "Yes, I feel the same. You look great - "

Before Ash had a chance to react, Eiji had thrown himself into his arms and hugged him. Ash had frozen up for a moment. Usually, touch instinctively made him cringe and pull out or slap the hand away because he related touch to violence and pain.

Still, when Eiji had hugged him, it felt completely different. His hug felt warm and cozy, and a fuzzy feeling rushed through him that he couldn't quite explain. He immediately felt protected and safe in his embrace. It just felt right and perfect.

When Ash slowly pulled out of the hug, he looked into the most prominently and warmest brown eyes he had ever seen. They looked perfect in combination with the innocent and overjoyed smile that he gave him. He had suddenly forgotten why he had been so scared to meet him.

Ash returned his smile before handing him a helmet.

"Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this little story because I had a lot of fun writing that. I have a weakness for soulmate stories. 
> 
> Kudos, bookmarks/subscriptions and comments are always welcome💕


	23. Angels And Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash died but since it’s unclear if he belongs in hell or heaven, so he gets another chance to live.
> 
> If he can make Eiji believe in his presence although he can’t see him, he’ll get his happy ending...

Ash was dead, which was alright with him. He deserved death and had chosen to die. He wanted to free himself from all the pain and suffering, from his trauma and his nightmares. Death had taken all of that away. He had assumed he would set Eiji free as well. So everything should be over now.

But somehow, it wasn't.

When he came to, Ash was neither in heaven nor hell. Instead, he was standing at a beach in Izumo. At least that's what he was told.

A strange voice echoed through his mind.

_'Ash, your case is much more complex and complicated than that of most humans. You have only experienced pain, violence, and abuse in your short life, except for Eiji, who taught you friendship, comfort, compassion and love._

_To be honest, we weren't sure if you belonged in heaven or hell. You did some evil deeds, more than most humans, but you also led a much harsher life and suffered much more than most humans. So your case is unique. You look like a demon at times, but your soul is that of an angel, kind and good.'_

Ash wondered what he meant by that. He belonged in hell, wasn't that obvious? People even called him a demon or a devil. He was a mass murderer and a ruthless gang leader. The decision should be simple enough...

_'Eiji's love towards you runs so strong and unconditional within him that it didn't stop with your death. He still loves you; his heart belongs to you forever. That's why he can't move on. He's still waiting for you to come back. Eiji is an angel with a kind heart and doesn't deserve his fate, either. Your case is special. So we decided to give you another chance. To change your fate. What would you do if you were given a second chance? A second life?'_

"Simple, I'd spend my life with Eiji. If he still wants me..."

"Look ahead. Don't you see him?"

Eiji was taking some photos at the beach and walked around barefoot in the sand.

"Eiji! He's back and safe in Japan. That's a relief." Then Ash moved closer, scrutinizing his face.

"Wait, this isn't Eiji. Why does he look so sad? He was supposed to be happy, to move on. Where's the light in his eyes I so loved? His eyes look so sad, and he forgot how to smile. This isn't what I wanted for Eiji. His eyes look dead, and his soul is suffering and in pain..."

_'Ash, you were Eiji's light, his hope, his reason to live and smile. You were soulmates, but by choosing death, you broke your bond. Eiji suffers because of that. If you don't do something, he'll soon follow you. Soulmate's fates are also connected, and often the second one dies soon after the first one.'_

"No, I don't want that. What can I do?", Ash exclaimed in pure horror. "I didn't know we were bound like that. If I had known I'd hurt Eiji, I'd have never done that!"

_'You have another chance to become human and save Eiji. Stay with him as a ghost or a noncorporeal entity. Try interacting with him. If he believes in you and can feel your presence or see you, you'll get another chance and become human again and can spend the rest of your life by Eiji's side.'_

"Where's the catch? There has to be one. It sounds too simple."

_'You only have this evening until midnight. If Eiji hasn’t believed in you by then, it's game over. Please remember that you're invisible, but if your bond is strong enough, he can see you eventually. But for that to happen, he has to know you're still with him. Good luck. If you succeed, you'll automatically turn into a human again and start a new life._

____________________

Ash stood at the beach and looked at Eiji. He hated the devastatingly sad look on his face, his pale skin, and his empty, emotionless eyes. He wanted Eiji to heal, but now the truth slowly sank in that Eiji wouldn't be happy without him. Ash had always loved Eiji, platonic friendship turning into romantic feelings over time.

Yet, he hadn't realized that Eiji loved him as well, that their feelings were mutual.That's why he had firmly believed that Eiji would get over him with time and return to the life he had been used to in Izumo.

Even so, this Eiji standing in front of him wasn't what he had in mind. He hadn't realized that his death would destroy Eiji and would only leave an empty shell behind...

Ash looked at Eiji, sitting there at the beach and looking out to the sea. The loneliness he gave off was hurting more than any stab wound ever could. Ash clenched his hands and finally made a decision. He had to show Eiji he was there and set things right.

As if on cue, Eiji had turned his head and looked directly at the direction he was standing. That wasn't possible, right? He couldn't see him... or could he?

If you're dead, why does it always feel as if you're standing next to me? Sometimes I think I can feel your presence like now. Ash just stared at him. Could he really feel him?

He wrote a message into the sand right in front of Eiji. The sun was slowly setting, and they were alone on this beach by now.

_I'm always with you. I'm sorry, Eiji. You were supposed to be happy after my death. I thought my death would set you free._

Eiji's eyes widened in pure disbelief as he stared at the words, then looked around in confusion.

"Ash?"

_I'm here. I've missed you._

Tears streamed down Eiji's face while he sobbed, "I missed you, too." Then suspicion ran over Eiji's face. "How do I know you're Ash, and this isn't a sick prank?"

Ash smiled at that. Eiji had learned to be suspicious and wasn't that naive anymore. Good. Two sentences appeared in the sand.

_You're not alone. My soul is always with you._

At first, Eiji covered his face with his hands and broke down crying. Yet, when he removed his hands, he managed to smile through his tears. 

Ash tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but, of course, it went through him. Still, Eiji reacted as if he had felt it and got calmer, wiping his tears away.

"Where are you, Ash? I can feel that you're here.

_I'm standing directly in front of you._

Eiji reached out with his hand, and Ash reached for it with his until their palms touched. It felt like electric sparks flying around them. He saw in Eiji's surprised look that he had felt it, too.

_If there was a chance you could see me again, what would you do?_

"I'd do anything to see you again.", Eiji answered firmly without any hesitation.

Ash couldn't help but smile when hearing that.

I can only come back if you believe in me. In my existence here and now.

"I've always believed in you, Ash. I can feel your presence. But this time, it's stronger, so I know I don't imagine it. I just wish I could see your face again, those intense green eyes and your golden hair."

Then, even though Eiji couldn't see him, he hugged him. This was the moment where Ash could feel how his body turned solid, and he became visible. He was human again.

Pure astonishment ran over Eiji's face before the innocent and radiant smile dawned on Eiji's face, speaking his eyes sparkle with happiness. He held him more tightly and looked up at him.

"Ash, please tell me I'm not dreaming.", he said while tightening the grip around him.

Ash stroked the back of his head and pulled him closer.

"You're not dreaming. This time, I'll stay. If you still want me. Forever?", he asked while a hint of uncertainty resonated in his voice.

"Forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading🙂
> 
> Unfortunately, I’m a bit late with some chapters but I’ve been sick for a few days, so my chapters got delayed. 
> 
> But I will still upload all of them, even if it’s already November.


	24. Pirates (Enemies to Pirates to Lovers?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash is the most feared pirate across all seven seas and kidnaps Eiji to lift a curse. 
> 
> But by kidnapping Eiji he gets much more than the end of a curse...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the summary seems familiar, this is a little Pirates of the Caribbean AU. Only without Barbossa.

Although Ash was only 17, he was feared across all the oceans this world had to offer. He was known for his ruthlessness and deadliness as well as for this brilliance. No one could beat him, neither physically nor intellectually.

He had the best and fastest ship, the best and strongest crew, and outwitted any opponent by anticipating all their plans days before they were put into action.

Consequently, Ash Lynx was rich, infamous, and created so much fear that people only whispered his name, calling him _Dark Pirate_ or _Dark Ash_ if you dared to pronounce his first name.

His ship _Revenge_ was legendary and was rumored to have magical powers because it could outrun any ships of the Royal Navy easily. One reason why he had never been caught.

While he successfully captured other ships and seized their treasure, he also kept looking for the killers who had slaughtered everyone he had once loved.

They were influential people hiding behind their powerful positions and their wealth and pretended to be successful merchants.

In reality, their merchandise was slaves, but they had quickly learned that you could make much more money by kidnapping young kids and sell them to the highest bidder. They had also created a drug and used those kidnapped people and slaves to experiment on.

Ash had chased them for years, but even he had difficulties finding them because they had many people in powerful positions in their hands. From mercenaries and pirates to members of the Royal Navy to the Governor. Even some kings or royal descendants were among them.

But Ash would find them and kill them one by one. Some of them he had already found. And the rest would just be a matter of time...

Then, while researching the whereabouts of one of his enemies, he had accidentally found a long lost treasure of pure gold and jewels. It was supposed to be his last long voyage across the seas; after that, he wanted to live from his riches and enjoy his life to the fullest. He was still young, after all.

He would still keep hunting his enemies down as long as he lived, though. That wouldn't change.

But fate had a different life waiting for him. The last treasure he had found had been cursed, forcing him to look for the 19-year-old son of his former crew member.

The curse would only end if all the treasure was returned to its original place. Unfortunately, said crew member had sent some of the money to his family and had called forth the curse with this action.

Since this crew member had died, Ash had turned his house upside down, found the rest of the remaining treasure, and had kidnapped his son.

The curse could only be lifted by the blood of the onewho had activated the curse. Or a close relative.

Ash had learned about the curse when another pirate, Lao, wanted to kill him by cowardly stabbing him in the back. To his surprise, the curse had already been activated, and he couldn't die, only turning into a skeleton when stabbed.

That and Lao had missed all his vital spots. So, he had killed Lao instead.

His former crew mate's son was called Eiji and had always wrongly assumed that his father was a wealthy merchant who traveled the seas while selling his goods. In reality, he was a pirate, but Eiji stubbornly refused to believe that. He was a blacksmith in training and had sworn to protect the world from pirates. The irony wasn't lost on Ash.

Still, Eiji was a pretty good fighter for a spoilt brat. With a sword, at least. With a gun in hand, he was utterly useless, hitting anything but the actual target.

Of course, Eiji had heard of Ash as everyone else and had despised him from the moment he met him. He couldn't care less. You didn't become the world's most feared pirate by being loved and treating everyone with kindness.

In his world, power was everything: power or money. If you wanted to rule the world, you needed one of them, although possessing both would make things easier.

At the beginning, Eiji was continually trying to kill him, but he was a naive child who had led a sheltered and wealthy life. Still, he was impressive. He had never been scared of him. Instead, he had fought with him, spit at him, and had tried to kill him nearly every day.

Still, Ash admired his fighting spirit and his iron will. Ash hadn't locked him up. First, he had no rooms left, and second, he needed him to work on the ship. Nothing was free on his ship, especially not for prisoners.

And they were on a ship, where would he escape to? It was either the rough sea who would swallow kids like him in an instant or staying on his ship.

Once he had understood how Eiji ticked, it was easy to get him to work for him. Eiji was kind and warm-hearted, a weakness he couldn't afford.

At the beginning, he had tried to hurt him, torture him when he refused his orders, but that had been no fun since he always fainted after just a few minutes.

Then a brilliant idea had come to him. He would threaten to torture others if he did something wrong. His men would teach him the rules effectively since they would suffer the consequences, and he would obey since he couldn't bear to see people suffer for his mistakes. In his world, you called that a win-win situation—a piece of cake.

After a while, Eiji slept in his room where he could watch him. When Eiji had refused, he had told him he could sleep on the main deck in a raging storm and a rough sea and be assaulted by one of his drunk men.

Or he could sleep here where he would be unharmed because he wasn't interested in him in a sexual way.

When he had been nearly raped, Eiji had changed his mind quickly. He had let his men have some fun with him but had stopped when they wanted to rape him. He had been raped repeatedly in his youth and would never turn a blind eye on such vicious things.

That was the only thing he didn't tolerate on his ship. Usually, if someone refused him, he wouldn't intervene to teach him a lesson, but he needed him alive. They could always kill him or whatever they pleased when the curse was lifted.

Eiji slowly learned a few things.

First, killing Ash would be stupid since his men were vicious animals that would harm him in any way possible if they got the chance. They were pirates, not gentlemen. Survival of the fittest. So he was his only protection on this ship.

Second, that he kept his promises and had never laid a finger on him or made any sexual advances.

Third, that they had more in common than they had initially thought. They both were men of their word and tried to protect those close to them. So maybe they weren't all that different?

Eiji despised him and his way of life from the bottom of his heart, but if he was injured, he helped him because it came naturally to him.

He was pretty good at treating injuries and would never abandon an injured man. He still had a conscience and believed in values like kindness, forgiveness and compassion. Values that didn't exist in his cruel world. 

He didn't want to admit it, but Eiji was a valuable asset and a big help on this ship. He often bandaged his wounds, and his room or the whole ship seemed warmer when he was there. No matter what he experienced, his kindness and empathy for those around him didn't fade away. Eiji had a great talent to cheer people up, encourage them, or comfort them.

Most pirates couldn't write, but all of them had a family somewhere, so Eiji wrote letters to them and taught them how to write when they had some free time. In return, they showed him how to read a compass and how to use a revolver.

Ash noticed with a smirk on his face how Eiji slowly gained the respect of his men. Since Eiji was responsible for his ship's work, his crew was suddenly much faster when doing tasks, and they were humming songs and smiled more when Eiji was around. His good mood was contagious.

One day, he woke Eiji up while suffering from one of his terrifying nightmares. He had successfully tried to hide them from him but had known that it was only a matter of time until he'd notice them. When Eiji learned of his nightmares, he didn't look down on him but took his hand and asked him what he could do to help.

One night, several weeks later, when he woke up screaming again, he broke down and told Eiji about his dark past and his history of abuse and rape while tears streamed down his face. To his credit, he had drunk too much the previous night, which had made him more emotional. Eiji was a good listener, so he had probably told him too much. Maybe she shouldn't have done that...

Even so, Eiji just told him that he saw that he was hurting and that, even if the world turned on him, he would always be on his side. Ash wondered why he cared so much. He had kidnapped him, after all...

The following morning, he woke up while Eiji was sleeping peacefully on his chest. He had never slept that soundly before. Eiji was never scared of him, not even if he turned into a skeleton on nights with a full moon. Maybe Eiji was his savior. He always felt safe and protected with him.Was it so wrong to let his guard down once in a while?

Since that confession about his past, they had grown closer and had enjoyed spending time together. Ash would really miss Eiji's presence on this ship and secretly wished they would never find the cave again. Then, he had no reason to set Eiji free...

  
__________________

Eventually, they found the cave where they had found the treasure and returned it. Ash had explained to Eiji that they just needed some drops of his blood; that was all, assuring him that he wouldn't lose his life.

Eiji had just nodded and had cut his hand before letting a few drops fall on the treasure chest, standing in the middle of the cave. Suddenly, all the pirates turned into humans again. Even those fatally wounded before but still alive due to the curse died with a smile on their faces since being emotionless puppets without being able to enjoy life's pleasures was far worse than death.

"Come on; I'll take you home, Eiji. Thank you for keeping me company until now and for saving my crew."

When they were on his ship again, Ash behind his ship's wheel, navigating his ship back from the cave, Eiji asked him something that surprised him.

"Can I stay here? With you?", he asked, a bit flustered, avoiding his gaze and staring at the horizon instead.

"Why would you want that? I've kidnapped you. And don't you have a girlfriend back home?", Ash asked curiously.

"I don't. But I think I've fallen in love with a pirate.", Eiji admitted quietly. Eiji stood next to him, a faint blush running over his cheeks. He looked so handsome with his brown hair dancing in the wind. "He has golden hair and emerald eyes."

Ash stared at him in surprise. "You have?" Then he grinned and put his pirate's hat on top of his head. His eyes sparkled happily as their gazes met.

"So, would you spend your life with a pirate, Eiji? I told you at the beginning; the pirate is in your blood. You can't change your fate; you'll have to embrace it."

"I guess I'm powerless against my fate. Meeting you was probably fate, too. I can feel a connection with you. We're soulmates; we complete each other. Don't you feel it?"

"I do. I just thought that I don't deserve someone like you.", Ash replied sadly, turning around, facing the wheel again. Eiji put an arm around his shoulder.

"Ash, you deserve me, ok? We're connected soul to soul. And you love me, too, right?", he asked a trace of uncertainty ringing in his voice.

Ash remained silent, then nodded slowly. After a moment, he grinned at him, a mischievous glint in his green eyes. 

"So, will you travel across the seven seas and face any danger that will come together with me for the rest of your life?"

As an answer, Eiji just smiled softly at him, then he put his face into his hands and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments, kudos, bookmarks/subscriptions make my day.
> 
> I really loved writing this story, it was so much fun😄


	25. Enemies To Lovers, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash bullies Eiji because he envies him but can’t admit that. When Ash punches Eiji and he can’t take part in the pole vaulting competition the following day, even someone as kindhearted as Eiji starts hating Ash. 
> 
> But what will happen if Ash and Eiji have to work on a project together? And why does Ash always watch Eiji’s training sessions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more a “enemies to friends” story, so there will be a second part for the “friends to lovers” scenario.
> 
> Please note that this story mentions abuse/rape. Please don’t read if such topics trigger anything.

"Hey, number two, I heard you lost again.", Ash sneered viciously at him while passing him in the hallway with some other guys.

He had referred to the pole vaulting competition yesterday, where he had lost against Mizuno from Meisei High School again, only placing second in the end.

The school competitions were held internationally because not many schools offered pole vaulting as a sport. Mizuno had already been a formidable rival in other competitions in Japan before, so losing to him hit incredibly hard.

Ash had a twisted talent to hit him where it hurt the most while his eyes radiated malicious joy.

Eiji had no idea what he had done to Ash to deserve such treatment, but he wouldn't encourage him by responding. He had come to this school with his uncle Shunichi Ibe who was a well-known photographer.

His parents were often overseas, and he didn't see them often, so Ibe had asked Eiji about going to New York with him.

Eiji had noticed pretty quickly that New York was a more dangerous place than a small town like Izumo, but at the same time, he loved this city. It was so lively, full of people and offered many exciting places.

He had found friends in school pretty quickly, and even if he wasn't popular, he was well-liked because helping other people out came naturally to him.

He had chosen this school because it offered pole-vaulting as a sport. Since he excelled at it, it was easy for him to connect with his classmates.

The only one who seemed to despise him from the bottom of his heart was Ash Lynx. To say he had a bad reputation would be an understatement. He was well-known for his impulsive behavior and his rude outbursts.

He often got into fights, especially with Arthur, another troublemaker at this school. But also with teachers and classmates who had the bad luck of running into him or criticizing him.

Most people stayed away from him because of the rumors circulating about him. According to the rumors, he slept with anyone for money, had been in jail, or had killed someone when he was young. He was rumored to have ties to the mafia, and his adoptive father was headmaster at this school.

His father was even more feared than Ash and was another reason why students stayed away from him. However, students only saw him when they were in serious trouble.

Dino Golzine practically ruled New York as a successful and wealthy businessman. Yet, he meddled in all of New York's affairs, legal and illegal, and his mansion in New Jersey was better guarded than Fort Knox.

His uncle's friend Max Lobo , a journalist, had told him to be careful since Dino was involved in many illegal activities, from smuggling to prostitution to murder. Only no one could prove it since he was alert and smart and had ties to the White House and any of the agencies you knew.

Max suspected that many people from the police to the CIA or NSA were on Dino's payroll because evidence and witnesses in cases involving him often conveniently disappeared.

Eiji never listened to rumors since they were rarely true. However, Eiji despised people that used violence as an answer to everything. Ash had free reign since his adoptive father had founded the school and was a rich and powerful figure here.

At the same time, Ash was a genius and had by far the best grades at school, giving the school an outstanding reputation when it came to education and average grades. He had written some brilliant essays that had achieved nationwide recognition.

If he had a good day, he could discuss topics with his teachers, challenging their intellect and leaving them stunned. So, the teachers kept quiet when he skipped classes or came too late to school.

Ash had chosen him as his new target after he had tried to end a fight between him and one of his classmates.

He had gotten really furious and had told him to stay out of it. When Eiji had glared right back and refused to move, he had punched him without warning. After that, he had had a swollen eye and had been forced to skip the pole-vaulting competition the following day.

Eiji had never forgiven him for that since it had been the last and most important day of the competition. And Ash had probably done that on purpose, realizing the consequences of his action perfectly well.

After that, Eiji tried to ignore him, which wasn't easy with Ash's teasing and threatening comments, which only got more vicious after that fight. Especially because they shared most of the classes since Ash had skipped a grade, being the genius he was, and he had decided to repeat a grade since his English wasn't so good, and he had trouble keeping up with all the assignments here.

Still, he couldn't keep staring at Ash; he remained a mystery to him. Ash was a walking contradiction, uniting so many qualities or personality traits that should be mutually exclusive.

He was handsome with his green eyes, blonde hair and slim figure but at the same time, he was an unbelievably strong and unbeatable fighter. He was also brilliant and had the best grades without making an effort but preferred skipping classes, lying in the grass, smoking, and enjoying the sun.

His eyes held so much malice and sarcasm while he glared at the people around him. When he smirked at Shorter, his best friend, though, his eyes were lighting up as he grinned at him mischievously. Those two were inseparable and always got into trouble together.

And despite all his violent behavior, he protected some kids and looked out for them.

It all just didn't fit together and aroused Eiji's interest. There had to be more to Ash than met the eye.

While he had been daydreaming, Ash had caught his gaze, and his green eyes burnt threateningly into him. Eiji glared right back, then turned to look out of the window.

Meanwhile, Blanca, their chemistry teacher, had explained that they would work on a project in pairs this semester and had explained how it would work. It forced them to work together since both of them had different exercises and had to add them together at the end of each weekly assignment.

"Okumura, Callenreese", Blanca called their names while they were in chemistry class. "You'll be on this project together."

"What? No way!", Ash and Eiji called out at the same time while glaring at their teacher. Blanca looked at them with some amusement.

"Why not? You're already perfectly in sync."

Ash and Eiji glared at each other then stubbornly turned away.

________________   
  
Eiji had gotten special permission to train for his pole vaulting competition even after the school had closed. So, he trained each evening until 7 p.m. for the upcoming competition.

Even if it was nearly winter, he loved training outside. In a few weeks, it would snow, and then he'd be forced to train inside, in the large but stuffy gym they had. He preferred the outside since the space was open and wide.

He had the whole field to himself, and jumping there felt like pure freedom. He also loved the silence and the semi-darkness. The area, like any big field for sports, was illuminated only at the sides.

When he was finished, he walked towards the main gate, the only way out. He always felt refreshed and was in a good mood after his training. It was liberating and freed his mind for a while. Suddenly, he thought he had seen something on the lawn, but it was probably just a reflection. Still, he shortly looked around and saw someone lying on the grass.

"Ash?", Eiji gasped out in surprise. What was he doing here this late at school? Ash looked as if he had passed out.

He had bruises on his face and arms, and there was a cut on his forehead. His clothes were also ripped and dirty. He had an open book in one hand. Ash's shirt had moved a bit upward, so Eiji could see that he had bruises there as well.

What had happened? He hadn't been... not that couldn't be, right...?"

"Ash?", Eiji put his duffel bag down and touched his shoulder, shaking him. "Are you fine?" Yeah, dumb question; he couldn't be fine in this state. But what else was he supposed to ask? It was pretty cold, and he just lay there in a t-shirt.

He would get a cold or worse.

Ash opened his eyes and looked around in confusion before seeing Eiji. His eyes immediately turned into a glare, and he slapped his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me!"

"You just lay there as if you had passed out. Sorry for worrying. I probably shouldn't have bothered.", Eiji spit back. He stubbornly grabbed his duffel bag and continued walking towards the main gate. Ash followed him quietly since it was the only exit. When they had passed the gate, Eiji turned around to him.

"Ash, what happened to you? You look awful. Are you fine?", Eiji asked, this time worried. He had often seen cuts and bruises on him, but since he got into fights daily, Eiji had assumed his constant fights were the cause...

Now, when he thought back at a conversation he had overheard, it all made sense. Earlier that day, a teacher had told Ash that the headmaster would like to see him after school. It hadn't seemed strange to Eiji at the time since he had assumed Ash would just meet up with his adoptive father after work. There was nothing unusual about that, right?

Even so, Ash reacted in a really weird way, so the moment had stuck with him. When Ash had heard that, pure terror and raw fear had flickered in his eyes for a moment. It had gone by so quickly, replaced by his stoic poker face, that Eiji had assumed that he had imagined it. But now it made a lot more sense.

"It's none of your fucking business! Stay the hell out of my life!", he shouted angrily at him, his green eyes burning wildly as if on fire. Then, he turned around and walked off. 

Eiji shook his head in disbelief and stared at his back for a moment before walking home in the opposite direction. When he had walked the first few meters, he suddenly heard a loud thud. It sounded as if someone or something had fallen. Curious, Eiji looked back and saw that Ash had collapsed onto the pavement.

He ran to him and checked his breathing. As he had assumed, he was just unconscious. Still, he had a fever, probably from sleeping out in the cold while he had been training. He wondered why he had done that. He had often seen Ash watching him train. If he despised him, why did he do that? He always had much softer features when he watched his training...

"Ash, can you hear me?", Eiji asked him.

"Don't touch me.", Ash growled, but his voice was barely a whisper. He tried to get up but was about to collapse again. Eiji caught him at the last second, supporting him.

"I'll take you home with me.", Eiji decided, telling Ash precisely that in a firm voice that didn't take no for an answer.

"Let go of me. Why do you even care? After all I've done to you..."

"Ash, I have no clue why you despise me, but I wouldn't even let my worst enemy die here in the cold. So, I'll take you home with me if you want to or not!"

Ash mumbled something unintelligible but was too weak to fight against him.

______________

Ash woke up in an unfamiliar room and quickly shot up. Dizziness overwhelmed him, and it felt as if a giant hammer hit against his skull. He desperately rubbed his temples to ease the pain.

"Stay down, idiot!", a harsh voice ordered, pushing him back. Panic surged through him, and he slapped his hand away.

"Where am I, where's my shirt and what the fuck have you done to me?", Ash growled at him.

"Yeah, I figured that _'Thank you for saving me from dying out in the cold'_ would be too much to ask.", Eiji replied, smirking at him.

"You're in my apartment. You collapsed in front of the school, so I took you home with me."

Ash looked down at himself and noticed the bandages for the first time."Why would you do that? You even bandaged my wounds? And what do you want in return? Is that a kind of twisted revenge on your part? You probably took some photos to blackmail me. Or you want me to be in your debt. Is that it?"

Ash looked at him suspiciously.

"I would never stoop that low!", Eiji thundered at him, eyes flaring up in anger.

"I just want you to talk to me. Why do you despise me that much? And thanks for the black eye, by the way."

Ash stared at him in amazement when Eiji gave him a cup of tea and two pills despite his angry outburst.

"For your headache. And no, it's not poisoned. If I had wanted to poison you, I would have done so when you were unconscious.", he stubbornly explained to him.

Ash slightly relaxed and took the tea from him. "It's green tea so that it will taste bitter to you. But it will help you feel better.", Eiji added when Ash smelled at the teacup.

Ash took the pills and drank the tea. After a moment, he looked up at Eiji.

"Thank you. No one has ever done something for me without expecting anything in return. Most people only helped me because they had ulterior motives or wanted payback. Like sex."

Eiji gasped out in surprise and flinched before genuine sorrow was reflected in his eyes.

"The headmaster, he's ... uhm... abusing you." Eiji lowered his gaze, staring at his hands. Usually, Ash would have denied it, but Eiji had seen his wounds and had already come to the right conclusion; he only wanted confirmation.

So he just nodded quietly. Then, Eiji reacted in a way Ash had never expected. He sat down on his bedside while tears ran down his face.

"I'm so sorry.", he sobbed. Ash stared at him in pure disbelief.

"Why the hell are you crying? And I don't need your pity!", Ash replied harshly. "I don't need people looking down on me!"

"It's not pity!", Eiji exclaimed furiously. "It's compassion. I just wish I could do something to help you.", he added quietly.

"I guess such awful things don't happen in Japan.", Ash replied quietly. "I can see in your eyes that you mean it. Thank you." He could feel how a half-smile appeared on his face.

Then, he looked at him sadly. "I don't despise you, Eiji. I envy you. You know how to fly, how it feels to be free. That's why I always watch your training. I admire you.", he explained honestly to him. Surprise ran over Eiji's face, and his eyes softened. Before he could reply and he lost the courage, Ash continued quickly.

"And I didn't want to give you a black eye but the guy standing in front of you. He had attacked me first, accusing me of sleeping with his girlfriend. But he dodged my blow, and I accidentally hit you. Sorry. About your competition, I mean."

"Oh, I thought you had done that on purpose to punish me for meddling in the fight. You looked so furious.", Eiji replied honestly. "That was the main reason why I hated you. And because you always start fights with everyone. That's just dumb.", he scolded him.

"You have it backwards.", Ash clarified for him. "I've never started a fight in my life. People always attack me first. I was just defending myself. I have a pretty tough reputation, so people want to beat me to look good, or they want to kill me since I'm the heir to the headmaster's reign over New York. I'm not interested in becoming his heir, but no one asks me. I don't expect you to believe that."

He gazed down at his hands. Eiji would never believe him. But somehow, it was important to him that Eiji didn't believe the rumors about him...

"Oh, I hadn't realized that.", Eiji admitted honestly. "Did you sleep with that guy's girlfriend?"

"No, I was just there at a party, and she passed out drunk. So I lay her on one of the beds and put a blanket over her. When I returned to the party, her boyfriend saw me and came to the wrong conclusion. But of course, no one believed my side of the story with my reputation.", Ash added sadly.

"I believe you.", Eiji said firmly. "I can see in your eyes that you're not lying."

Ash nodded and couldn't help but smile at that.

"Should we try a fresh start?", Ash asked him quietly.

"Yes. I'd like that. And maybe we can work on our project together. Chemistry is not my best subject, so I desperately need your help."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading ;-)
> 
> I hope you’ve enjoyed this. Please leave a comment, vote or bookmark it if you’ve enjoyed reading it✨ It would totally make my day.
> 
> I plan to upload a short chapter each day. I really hope I can manage to upload 31 little chapters in a row.


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